Area Labor Councils Endorse Three In Supreme Court Race

Crossing Party Lines, Unions Back Clark, Silvestri, Sise

SCHENECTADY, NY (07/11/2012)(readMedia)-- Earlier this week, the Schenectady Area Labor Council convened its monthly meeting at the Veteran's Club on Union Street. The evening's primary agenda item: consideration of endorsements for Supreme Court Candidates.

Following a rigorous candidate screening process, headed up by Council President Frank Natalie and including two other regional Labor Councils, the candidate screening committee recommended three candidates for the four open seats in the State Supreme Court's 4th Judicial District.

On the heels of last week's unanimous vote of the Saratoga and Greater Glens Falls Central Labor Councils, which supported the recommendations put forward by the Schenectady Labor Council, delegates unanimously voted to endorse:

• Schenectady Family Court Judge Christine Clark (DEM)

• Chestertown-based Attorney John Silvestri (DEM)

• Supreme Court Justice Joseph Sise (REP)

Council President Frank Natalie (also a Business Agent for Plumbers & Steamfitters Local 7) affirmed the choices and noted, "As we bear witness to actions taking place in Wisconsin and across the Nation, where the Courts are shaping the definition of free speech and Union activism, it is a crucial time to carefully consider who we elect to interpret our laws."

He went on to add, "Our three Labor Councils felt it was important to recognize that commitment to the rights of workers to organize and exercise free speech is not limited to one Party; and we're very pleased to have candidates from both sides of the aisle who support our issues."

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The Saratoga Area Labor Council, Schenectady Area Labor Council, and Greater Glens Falls Central Labor Council are regional labor bodies of the Capital District Area Labor Federation, AFL-CIO (CDALF). We speak for over 100,000 members at 48 locally affiliated Unions across eleven counties within the Capital District. For more information please information our website at www.cdalf.org or contact CDALF Director, Dan Curtis, at (518) 452-0404 or director@cdalf.org.