UFT backs Eric Schneiderman for state attorney general

At an afternoon press conference on the steps of City Hall on Aug. 24, UFT President Michael Mulgrew announced the UFT’s endorsement of Eric Schneiderman for attorney general of New York State. The state senator from upper Manhattan and the Bronx was described by Mulgrew as “one elected official who works and communicates with the community. He knows that that makes us all stronger and makes for better government.

There are five Democrats in the Sept. 14 primary to replace Mr. Cuomo, who is running for governor.

In thanking Mulgrew, Schneiderman said he was “honored to be endorsed by New York’s teachers” and pledged he would have “no greater priority as attorney general than to fight every single day for equality and justice for all New Yorkers.” He added that “one system of equal justice under law also means equal treatment for education and for teachers, too.”

In addition to his UFT endorsement, Schneiderman is backed by other labor unions, including Hospital Workers 1199 of SEIU, as well as from the Citizens Union and The New York Times, which opined on Aug. 21 that the senator carries “a strong voice and a deep commitment to ethical government.” The paper said it was endorsing him “because of his sound judgment, legal expertise, political independence and long history of fighting for government reform.”