TWU Local 100's logo. (Photo: Facebook)

As the campaign season rumbles towards the September 10 primary date, unions are placing their thumb on the scale in an attempt to elect candidates sympathetic to their interests. Accordingly, the Transport Workers Union Local 100, comprising 38,000 bus and subway employees, released a  wide range of endorsements today for City Council races across the five boroughs.

"TWU Local 100 is proud to announce our support for candidates who are the strongest Public Transportation and Labor candidates in their respective races," union president John Samuelsen said in a statement. "Every candidate was carefully screened by a team of Union officers and staff, and each person we are supporting demonstrated great knowledge and commitment to working with our union to improve public transit in New York."

Mr. Samuelsen added, "TWU Local 100 will do everything we can to get them elected."

The TWU endorsement list, which can be viewed in full below, contains many incumbents and Council hopefuls who have already coalesced the majority of other labor endorsements. There are some exceptions, however. For example, differing with the labor-backed Working Families Party, TWU threw support to Upper East Side candidate Ben Kallos over Assemblyman Micah Kellner, Brooklyn incumbent Sara Gonzalez over challenger Carlos Menchaca and Yetta Kurland over Corey Johnson for the Manhattan race to replace Speaker Christine Quinn.

The union is currently silent in three races as well: Councilwoman Margaret Chin's re-election bid and the open-seat contests for outgoing Council members Gale Brewer and Oliver Koppell.

View the full list:

District 2: Rosie Mendez
District 3: Yetta Kurland
District 4: Daniel Garodnick
District 5: Benjamin Kallos
District 7: Mark Levine
District 8: Melissa Mark-Viverito
District 9: Inez Dickens
District 10: Ydanis Rodriguez
District 12: Andy King
District 13: James Vacca
District 14: Fernando Cabrera
District 15: Ritchie Torres
District 16: Vanessa Gibson
District 18: Annabel Palma
District 19: Austin Shafran
District 21: Julissa Ferreras
District 22: Costa Constantinides
District 23: Mark Weprin
District 24: Rory Lancman
District 25: Daniel Dromm
District 26: Jimmy Van Bramer
District 27: Daneek Miller
District 29: Karen Koslowitz
District 30: Elizabeth Crowley
District 31: Donovan Richards
District 32: Eric Ulrich
District 34: Antonio Reynoso
District 35: Laurie Cumbo
District 36: Robert Cornegy Jr.
District 37: Rafael Espinal
District 38: Sara Gonzalez
District 39: Brad Lander
District 40: Mathieu Eugene
District 41: Darlene Mealy
District 42: Inez Barron
District 43: Vincent Gentile
District 45: Jumaane Williams
District 46: Alan Maisel
District 47: Mark Treyger
District 48: Ari Kagan
District 49: Debi Rose

(Photo: Wikimedia)

Yesterday afternoon, the course of the New York State Senate was altered when a faction of the on-paper Democratic majority announced they would instead form a power-sharing agreement with the Republicans, equally splitting control of the chamber in an "unprecedented" fashion. Although labor has been wary of the situation thus far, seemingly preferring Democratic rule, Transport Workers Union Local 100 called the new coalition-style government "the best possible option" for the state.

“In the aftermath of Super Storm Sandy, and the devastation suffered by the working families of New York, we must get down to the business of governing," said the union's president, John Samuelsen, in a statement late last night. "The Independent Democratic Conference— led by serious, effective senators such as Jeff Klein, Diane Savino, and Malcolm Smith — has shown great commitment in fighting for public union employees and their families. It is obvious that at this point their decision to create a bipartisan coalition was the best possible option to ensure a functioning government for all New Yorkers and NYC Transit Workers and our families.”

For what it's worth, TWU Local  100's endorsements sometimes cut against the political grain, and the union, which has been without a contract since January, likely has a particularly vested interest in the state government in the coming months.

In contrast, several other unions have responded more coolly. RWDSU, for example, ominously warned the smaller Democratic conference to deliver on the minimum wage legislation they support.

“We are pleased that Senator Klein has made passage of a minimum wage increase in New York a priority," RWDSU president Stuart Appelbaum said in a press release yesterday. “The bill that he introduced last year, to increase New York’s minimum wage to $8.50 an hour and then index it to inflation, should not be weakened by his new coalition partners. We would expect that this will be the same bill he will pass for with his new Republican colleagues."

While the labor-backed Working Families Party sounded aggressive on the topic, with their executive director, Dan Cantor, declaring the new coalition "puts the progressive agenda in jeopardy" and suggested a potential electoral face-off could occur next time these senators face the voters.

"On Election Day, New Yorkers made their voices heard for a Democratic-Working Families majority because of the issues that hang in the balance in Albany," Mr. Cantor  said. Public financing of elections. Women's health. Reforming stop and frisk. Raising the minimum wage and indexing it to inflation. A real DREAM Act. These are not trivial issues. Senator Klein has voiced support for them in the past, but his Republican partners stand against us on each one. The burden therefore rests on the shoulders of Senator Klein and the IDC to prove that they can deliver. If they can, then this coalition may yet be validated. But if they cannot, then we will hold them to account."

Elizabeth Crowley (Photo: Facebook)

While Assemblyman Rory Lancman trumpeted the endorsement of SEIU 1999 today and Assemblywoman Grace Meng rolled out a set of South Asian endorsements, a third Democratic candidate in the northeastern Queens congressional race they are all competing in, Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley, announced an endorsement of her own: Transport Workers Union Local 100.

“We think Elizabeth is going to be a dynamic new voice in Congress for New York’s working families,” the union's president, John Samuelsen, said in a statement. “We are thrilled to be endorsing a person with such a strong union background, and a person who we believe will advocate aggressively for a strong national policy for public transportation."

He added, "Local 100 will do everything within our power to get out the vote and help her across the finish line in the upcoming primary.”

The union is notable for Ms. Crowley, who has seen the biggest and most influential unions largely mostly going to Mr. Lancman, and, to a lesser extent, Ms. Meng. And, while TWU isn't the largest labor force in New York City politics, they do have tens of thousands of current and retiree workers in their membership, which can have a tangible impact in what is destined to be a low turnout Democratic primary.

The winner of the June 26th primary will face Republican Councilman Dan Halloran in the general election. For his part, Mr. Halloran is holding a press conference this afternoon to roll out his own endorsement from the Uniformed Fire Marshals Association.