This episode of Policy Outsider features a conversation between Rockefeller Institute Director of Labor Policy Maria Figueroa and Brendan Griffith, president of the New York City Central Labor Council. The discussion explores the work of the Central Labor Council, the pressing issues facing the labor movement today, and the priorities of labor under the next mayoral administration.
Guests
Transcript was generated using AI software and may contain errors.
Joel Tirado 00:00
Welcome to Policy Outsider presented by the Rockefeller Institute of Government. I’m Joel Tirado. This episode of Policy Outsider features a conversation between Rockefeller Institute Director of Labor Policy Maria Figueroa and Brendan Griffith, president of the New York City Central Labor Council. The discussion explores the work of the Central Labor Council, the pressing issues facing the labor movement today, and the priorities of labor under the next mayoral administration. That conversation is up next.
Maria Figueroa 00:42
hello everyone. I’m Maria Figueroa, Director of labor policy at the Rockefeller Institute of Government, and I’m delighted to welcome the newly elected president of the New York City Central Labor Council, Brendan Griffith to this discussion about the key issues and policies impacting labor and the economy in New York. Just a few words about Brendan and the CLC. Brendan Griffith was elected president of the New York City Central Labor Council, better known as the CLC. This past July, the CLC is the largest regional Labor Federation in the US, bringing together 300 local unions and representing more than 1 million workers from Eritrea and occupation in the New York economy. Brendan Griffith joined the CLC in 2009 serving as Chief of Staff and interim president. He’s also a member of our own Workers Local 40 and the United University professions UUP. Thank you, Brendan, for joining us today and congratulations on your recent election.
Brendan Griffith 02:05
Thank you so much, Maria. Very happy to be here before we
Maria Figueroa 02:07
get into the deeper issues, can you provide us with a brief overview of the CLC and its role in the New York labor movement?
Brendan Griffith 02:18
Sure, absolutely so, Maria, as you mentioned, the New York City Central Labor Council has approximately 300 affiliated unions, and those unions collectively represent over 1 million card carrying union members that work in the five boroughs of New York City. So you know, our breadth is pretty wide. When you’re dealing with unions of various sizes and capacities, the roles and the ways that we interact with them could be can be very different. Certain unions have more resources. Certain less more staff, and certain, certain unions have less staff. But I would say the major, the major lanes that the New York City Central Labor Council runs in are politics and legislation, communications and public relations. And, you know, community outreach and coalition building. And you know, within those you know, we have a strong emphasis on mobilizing support, helping unions and planning and demonstrations and executing demonstrations, and in within all of that context, we try to be very analytical and data driven in the work that we do to support our affiliates.
Maria Figueroa 03:15
Thank you. What are the CLC priorities and agenda under your leadership for the next four years?
Brendan Griffith 03:23
Sure. No, I appreciate the question, Maria. I would say, you know, right now, as a new president of the New York City Central Labor Council, what I’m really trying to do is take inventory amongst our Executive Board, which is a board made up of 4040, labor leaders who have members in the city, coming, once again, from every sector of the New York City economy, talking to other affiliate leaders, talking to elected officials, really trying to get a sense of their thoughts on what the most pressing needs are and what the most pressing challenges are for workers. And I think that there are a number of themes that are common, but I would say right now that vision, that plan for the next four years is still in formation.
Maria Figueroa 04:01
From your perspective, what would be the most severe challenges that you will have to consider in forging that vision?
Brendan Griffith 04:11
Well, you know, I think the working people of New York City, New York state in this country, you know, face no shortage of challenges right now, and I think there are certain ones that have existed. You know, without perhaps a description of in perpetuity is a little much, but didn’t come to be over the last few months or years. You know, things like the challenges through organizing in an LRB election. You know, one very specific thing that I think is proven challenging for unions is getting that first contract even after they win an election. You know, that’s one example of something that didn’t come about in 2025 it’s, you know, it’s, unfortunately, very important to talk about some of the challenges that we have now in light of the atmosphere and the attitudes coming out of Washington, DC. And, you know, those are one just a direct assault. Result on unions and working people throughout this country, you know, sometimes, under the guise of being pro worker, policies are coming out that are, you know, they are withdrawing both the services that working families depend on, but also the ability of workers to go out there and earn a living and support their families and have some sort of a predictable income and economic opportunity and opportunity for growth in a career. What we’re seeing right now is a federal government that, rather than supporting working families and trying to make life more affordable for working families, I think, is really emboldening and encouraging the wealthiest of folks in the United States, corporations and others to amass more and more power. So you know, to the degree that there is any benefit coming to working people, it’s simply at the behest of their wealthy. If there’s any benefit at all, workers are losing their voice, and I think we as a movement really need to work hard to ensure that workers, whether you’re carrying a union card or not, have a seat at the table when decisions are being made that affect their ability to earn a living and to do so safely.
Maria Figueroa 06:03
Are there any sectors of the labor movement or the economy that need more focused attention on the part of labor?
Brendan Griffith 06:11
You know, I would say it’s not about, you know, where we are now and where we should be, but rather, in reference, I would say particularly to the federal unions and the members that they represent, the workers in the federal government, what we have seen are very direct attacks coming from the, you know, the present presidential administration, on those workers. And I think the labor movement is really stepping up to meet those challenges in a very, very difficult environment. So federal workers, I would certainly say, are receiving renewed attention and are very, very directly under attack. Secondly, I would say, you know, other industries that are not necessarily organized, you know, gig economy workers, immigrant workers, those are other, you know, classifications of workers that I would say, once again, gig economy workers, immigrant workers, have always, always, you know, sort of been put in a position of vulnerability that hasn’t changed, and, in fact, has increased their direct efforts to remove the protections that come with being a full time employee. Additionally, it’s no secret that attacks on immigrant workers from the federal government are increasing daily and exponentially.
Maria Figueroa 07:18
Well, you mentioned immigrant workers, and there are worker organizations known as worker centers, who actually focus all their efforts in representing organizing immigrant workers. Examples of such organizations are the New York Taxi Workers Alliance and worker Justice Project, and they’re not established as unions. But again, they’ve been representing and advocating for workers in sort of like marginal sectors of the economy or emerging sectors, and they’ve been doing so effectively, in the sense that they’ve been achieving significant improvements for their members and these workers through policy making. Many a times, can you give us your perspective on the role of these organizations in the New York labor movement, and tell us about their relationship with the CLC,
Brendan Griffith 08:23
Sure, absolutely. You know, we’ve been very proud to partner with both the worker Justice Project and the Taxi Workers Alliance over the years on various policies and initiatives and supporting the work that they do. I’m a proud member of the board of the worker Justice Project, and, you know, tremendous fan of the advocacy that they do for for day laborers, for construction workers, for domestic workers, for delivery workers. You know, the the labor movement, I would say, is a very large tent. And as the President of the New York City Central Labor Council, I truly believe that that the best mechanism to protect workers and give them a voice is a union contract. But it’s not the only mechanism. And the work that’s being done by organizations that you described, such as the taxi workers, such as the worker justice projects, it’s just been tremendous to raise the standards for very vulnerable workers. You know, there’s that expression, what was what was old is new again. And if we look back historically, you know, to sort of the the growth of the labor movement in this country, and we often think, you know, almost romantically, of workers, like garment workers or mine workers. You know, the reality is that those were the occupations that were available to immigrants that came to this country trying to build a better life for themselves. And in that context, you know, they found themselves to be vulnerable, and they advocated for better working conditions, and they had successes, and we see the growth of strong unions that exist right now, they started as bad jobs as well, but people came together. They found a voice. They demanded higher standards, better wages, better working conditions, and they were successful. The opportunities that are available to vulnerable people in this country now are different. They are taxi workers, they are nail salon workers. They. Our day laborers. But what was old is new again, and it’s important that those workers to come together and find a voice voice and have the support of the labor movement to ensure that those standards rise as well, just as we did 100 years ago in other industries.
Maria Figueroa 10:13
Moving on to the topic of the New York City mayoral elections this fall, what are the key labor issues or priorities that the elected mayor will need to address from the perspective of working people and their organizations, which policies or government initiatives should be prioritized by city government?
Brendan Griffith 10:41
You know, I would say, you know, there’s a number of specific policies and initiatives that are being promoted by the unions of the Central Labor Council, and I would let them speak for it. They know their industry certainly better than I do. But very broadly, you know, in each candidate, in different ways, has talked about the issues around affordability. It gets harder and harder to live in the city. Wages are being depressed and costs are rising so very broadly, I would say, the affordability of the city to ensure that there is a working class that can do all the things they do now, and don’t have to live two hours away to find an affordable home, spend more time traveling than they do with their families, is in one in one context, is probably broadly one of the more important things for the mayor to address, whoever that might be, I will say that right now, in a way that I believe is happening, almost in waves. We are seeing the results of some of the cuts from the federal government trickling through the state and through the city. And I think one of the things that the mayor and his administration has to be very, very careful about as that we’re as we’re addressing what might be, what might be, you know, tighter budgets for this city, that we’re not diminishing labor standards, that we’re keeping people employed, we’re ensuring that jobs are safe, we’re not putting downward pressure on wages, and we’re allowing workers to maintain their standard of living. I would say broadly, those are two of the huge challenges that the mayor is going to have, and the labor movement is there to ensure that, you know, working people, as we go through a transition to a new to potentially go through a transition to a new mayor, maintain a voice in any and all conversations that affect them.
Maria Figueroa 12:13
You already mentioned some of the challenges emerging from the federal government policies, but I like to go a little deeper into that, and I’d like to hear from you about challenges and opportunities for labor under this second Trump administration. We know there are very serious challenges emerging from the underfunding and dismissal of key staff from labor institutions such as the National Labor Relations Board, NLRB, the fncs, Federal Mediation and Conciliation services and the US Department of Labor, And then of key importance to working people and business is the policy of mass deportations that is taking place and challenging workers and business owners in our city and across the nation. From your perspective, why effect have these policies had on the labor movement and working families in New York?
Brendan Griffith 13:28
So just sort of working backwards from some of the points that you just made, particularly as it pertains to immigration, I would say that there is a very palpable fear now amongst immigrant communities because of the risk of deportation. And you know, that has, I would argue, very little to do with actual documentation. At this point, the rules are kind of changing on a day to day basis. And what we’re hearing from some of the affiliates of the New York City Central Labor Council is people who are documented, who are in this country legally and have been for a long time, still being detained, still being removed, inappropriately, incorrectly. I would argue most of the detentions and removals are can be described as that. So really, this, this touches on, I would argue every union and workers throughout this city that palpable fear, which is, you know, preventing kids from going to school, people from going and receiving health care, and, you know, also putting union members and workers in positions where there is potential for direct confrontation with the Department of Homeland Security and ICE agents as they seek to, you know, to process or remove someone that they deem inappropriately in this country. So, you know that fear, I think, is very real. We’re seeing the federal government sending the National Guard into certain cities. And I think that there is a huge question about what happens next, and you can say that broadly about any number of issues, but I think it’s a day to day question that we have in New York. So yeah, I think that certainly is one piece. As I said, what I think the more direct results of some of the policy changes and some of the cuts that we’re seeing from. DC, they are going to have a, you know, effect that comes in waves. So you know, some of the money that’s being withheld from the federal government now, some of the money that you know is being successfully released that Congress, as they you know, is their responsibility to do, has appropriated, and the executive branch has inappropriately said that they’re not going to spend as that money you know is being re released. What we’re seeing is, you know, perhaps some level of comfort that, you know, the effects are not as dire as we as we want, for many. But you know, the cuts that are happening to the federal government, those aren’t just workers in Washington, DC. You know, the federal government has workers throughout this country, and there are 10s of 1000s in New York, them losing their jobs as a very direct effect on them and their families. Additionally, those federal government workers who haven’t lost their jobs, haven’t lost their jobs yet don’t they don’t know what’s happening next. So you know, the fear that next week you might not have a paycheck, next month you might not be able to pay your rent or your mortgage, once again, is very real. The services provided by federal workers as well. You know, we’re looking at cuts to Medicaid. You know the lack of support for workers coming from the Department of Labor. All of these things have a direct effect on working people in the in the workplace, as they’re doing their jobs, certainly. But also, as you know, members of the public who depend on the federal government for some services, the state, the state government that depends on the federal government for funding for some services. All of this is interrelated. You know, unfortunately, I never believed in the idea of trickle down economics as a benefit to people. However, I do believe that bad things do trickle down, and that’s exactly what we’re seeing. Decisions being made in Washington, DC by a very few people are going to have a huge, huge negative consequence for the average worker in New York City, New York state and beyond.
Maria Figueroa 16:40
Do you see any opportunities, such as, I don’t know, more of a resurgence in the in the resistance of working people, or these policies that might create a favorable environment for unions to organize? Any opportunities?
Brendan Griffith 17:04
Yeah, absolutely. You know, what we’ve heard from some of our federal union affiliates is that, you know, in this really terrible environment that they’re acting in, at the same time as you know, the federal government is trying to strip federal unions of power, more and more federal workers want to be part of those unions and be part of a system that has the ability, has the means, the capacity to push back on that in other sectors as well. I think that there is a sense that what is happening in a lot of ways and a lot of places is unjust, and we as a people, the idea of the concept of what American democracy is, means that we have to come together to push back and to fight for justice. So I think there’s tremendous opportunities to organize, in a very, very specific sense, to have more people put into unions, but in a broad sense, as well, more people participating civically in their communities. You know, showing that New Yorkers, the American people, we want to be a part of the decision making process. I don’t believe that government in any state, excuse me, at any stage, from the federal government to the state government to the city government, is necessarily going to serve save working people. What will say working people is us coming together, finding our commonalities, of which there are many, as much as people try to highlight the differences, what we have in common is much more important than what divides us, and working together to ensure, again, that working people have a voice, working families have opportunities to thrive.
Maria Figueroa 18:26
Thank you so much, Brendan for sharing your perspectives on all these key issues. Any last words?
Brendan Griffith 18:36
No, yeah. You know, I think that that the conversation around opportunities really is the most important one. There are challenges, and I think I’ve been at the Central Labor Council for 15 years, President for, I would say, about six weeks. But what I’ve seen consistently throughout all that time is there have been, you know, ebbs and flows of successes and victories for the labor movement. But what is most important is less about what is happening externally to workers, and more about how workers are relating to each other. And once again, our commonalities are so much more important than what divides us. So focusing on that understanding that those commonalities are both things that we celebrate and the struggles that we have, but to overcome those struggles, we need to stand together in ways big and small. That’s not always easy, but I know that the New York City labor movement is up for the challenge the million workers represented by the New York City Central Labor Council. We are the largest regional Labor Federation, as you said, I would argue we are also the strongest urban labor movement that this country has, and when we speak with one voice, we will be heard.
Maria Figueroa 19:47
Thank you. Thank you again, Brendan, and thank you to our audience for listening.
Brendan Griffith 19:53
Thank you so much, Maria. I really appreciate the opportunity. You. Speaker.
Joel Tirado 20:05
Thanks again to Rockefeller Institute Director of Labor Policy Maria Figueroa and Brendan Griffith, president of the New York City Central Labor Council for this insightful conversation on the current moment of the labor movement. If you liked this episode, please rate, subscribe, and share. It will help others find the podcast and help us deliver the latest in public policy research. All of our episodes are available for free wherever you stream your podcasts and transcripts are available on our website. I’m Joel Tirado; until next time.
Policy Outsider is presented by the Rockefeller Institute of Government, the public policy research arm of the State University of New York. The Institute conducts cutting edge nonpartisan public policy research and analysis to inform lasting solutions to the challenges facing New York state and the nation. Learn more at rockinst.org or by following RockefellerInst. That’s i n s t on social media. Have a question, comment, or idea? Email us at [email protected].
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