Steamfitters Local 638 has endorsed Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman in his campaign for governor of New York, adding the union's support to a race focused heavily on affordability, jobs and public safety.
Blakeman's campaign announced the endorsement Wednesday, saying the union represents thousands of industrial welders, heating and cooling technicians and sprinkler fitters across New York City and Long Island. The tradespeople build and maintain heating, cooling and fire-protection systems in buildings and other infrastructure.
Blakeman said he was honored to receive the endorsement and described the union's members as workers who keep New York operating. He said his campaign would seek to make the state more affordable while keeping organized labor involved in economic development.
The campaign used the announcement to criticize Gov. Kathy Hochul's record on taxes, utility costs, the economy and criminal justice. Those arguments were presented by the campaign as reasons union members should support Blakeman, and the release did not include a response from Hochul or her campaign.
Robert “Bobby” Bartels Jr., business manager of Steamfitters Local 638 UA, said members want a state where families can afford energy bills, feel safe in their communities and find stable, well-paying work. He said the union views Blakeman as a candidate who would expand development while protecting union jobs.
Bartels said the union's members work, live and raise families in New York and are concerned about whether they can build a secure future in the state. The endorsement statement tied those concerns to household expenses, community safety and the availability of skilled-trades work.
Blakeman, who is serving as Nassau County executive, is campaigning for the state's top office and has made criticism of Hochul's economic policies a central part of his pitch. His campaign said high taxes and rising utility costs have made it harder for working-class families to remain in New York.
The release described the endorsement as evidence of frustration among blue-collar workers, but it did not provide polling or other data showing how broadly that view is shared. The announcement did not describe the union's process for approving the endorsement.
Steamfitters Local 638's support gives Blakeman organized-labor backing as he seeks to build a statewide coalition. The campaign did not announce a related public event or provide additional details about the union's role in campaign activities.
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