Ahead of the upcoming primary election for New York City mayor, the United Auto Workers (UAW) released a video featuring President Shawn Fain endorsing candidate Zohran Mamdani. The video is aimed at the 40,000 UAW members and their families residing in New York City. In it, Fain criticizes Andrew Cuomo as “another hack politician.”
“We don’t need another hack politician like Cuomo—someone who smiles for the cameras and then sells us out behind closed doors,” states Fain. He emphasizes the need for a national movement uniting the working class to challenge oligarchs and rebuild democracy.
The endorsement by UAW Region 9A in December 2024 marked them as the first labor union to support Mamdani’s campaign. His focus on addressing the cost-of-living crisis aligns with UAW’s priorities, including affordable housing, rent freezes, free public transportation, and universal childcare.
On May 30, UAW Region 9A urged its members in New York City to rank Mamdani first on their ballots. Fain describes Mamdani as “a fighter for free transit, housing for all, universal childcare, and a $30 an hour minimum wage” who believes in democracy beyond elections.
The video transcript details UAW’s stance against powerful employers like Mercedes Benz and Columbia University. It criticizes former Governor Cuomo’s administration for protecting billionaires while neglecting workers’ rights.
Fain concludes that electing Mamdani represents reclaiming power from bosses and landlords: “Now it’s time to elect Zohran—and build a New York for the many, not the few.”
