Mario Cilento was unanimously re-elected the president of the New York State AFL-CIO on Monday, the labor group announced.
The election was held this morning at the Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel.
“I am honored, humbled and privileged to have the opportunity to continue to serve the Labor Movement in our state and I will work tirelessly over the next four years to improve the lives of working men and women and their families,” Cilento said.
Under Cilento, the union has played a role in the push for a $15 minimum wage — which was approved for New York City and the suburban counties earlier this year — as well as 12 weeks of paid family, which was also approved in the budget.
Meanwhile, the union has pushed for the passage of a service credit for veterans and keep upstate facilities such as the Alcoa plant in Massena and the FitzPatrick Nuclear Power Plant in Oswego open.
“In addition, labor prevented changes to the workers’ compensation system that would have been detrimental to injured workers and ensured the Scaffold Law continues to help keep men and women safe on job,” Cilento said in a statement.
“These victories show what we can achieve when the Labor Movement coordinates its actions and makes its collective voice heard. Because, when 2.5 million members speak as one, we are impossible to ignore.”
Cilento was first elected the AFL-CIO president in New York in 2011.