Teamsters Applaud Cuomo Agenda: Cannabis, Immigrants, Union Protections
Teamsters Joint Council 16 President George Miranda had the following statement on Governor Andrew Cuomo’s Justice Agenda, laid out at yesterday’s State of the State address. Joint Council 16 represents 120,000 workers in downstate New York.
“Governor Cuomo is taking our state forward by creating a legal, strongly-regulated, and unionized cannabis industry. Our communities of color have been criminalized through drug enforcement for decades. Under this plan, workers from these communities will be able to thrive in the legal cannabis industry. By strongly controlling the production, distribution, and transportation of cannabis within New York, Governor Cuomo is ensuring that the industry will create good jobs in addition to much-needed tax revenue.
“The governor is committed to protecting New York’s immigrant communities from a hostile federal government. Our state, our schools, our courts, and our workplaces should be sanctuaries. Passing the José Peralta Dream Act, expanding legal defense services, and barring state agencies from inquiring about immigration status will show our support for and solidarity with our immigrant neighbors.
“New York is the shining light for the labor movement and Governor Cuomo is taking steps to defend that legacy. In the wake of the disastrous Janus Supreme Court decision, the Governor moved to protect New York workers and their unions from the fallout. By extending those protections to local government employees and mandating prevailing wage on all projects with public subsidies, New York will stay a union state for its working families.”