Building trades, Teamsters, rail and transit, maritime, and federal employee unions back Lawler. With the eleven law enforcement unions announced last month, more than thirty unions now back his campaign.
Yesterday, Congressman Mike Lawler (NY-17) announced that twenty labor unions have endorsed his reelection campaign, a coalition that runs from the building trades and the Teamsters to the unions whose members run the region’s trains, crew the nation’s ships, move the mail, and staff the federal government. Combined with the eleven law enforcement unions that endorsed Lawler on August 17, more than thirty unions now stand behind his campaign.
The endorsements include:
Building trades
• Building and Construction Trades Council of Westchester and Putnam Counties
• North Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters (NASRCC)
• International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 363
• International Union of Elevator Constructors (IUEC)
• International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) Local 825
• Laborers’ International Union of North America (LIUNA) New York
• Laborers’ Local 754
Transportation
• New York Teamsters (Teamsters Joint Council 16)
• Teamsters Local 456
• Transport Workers Union of America (TWU)
• Transport Workers Union New York State Conference
• SMART Transportation Division (SMART-TD)
• Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen (BRS)
Maritime
• American Maritime Officers (AMO)
• International Organization of Masters, Mates & Pilots (MM&P)
• Marine Engineers’ Beneficial Association (MEBA)
• Seafarers International Union (SIU)
Federal and postal employees
• American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE)
• National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE-IAM)
• National Postal Mail Handlers Union Local 300
Politico’s New York Playbook reported Tuesday that Lawler’s labor support is “significantly higher this year than it was in 2024,” when 17 unions endorsed him. On August 27, the New York Teamsters announced their 2026 congressional endorsements, backing Lawler as one of five Republicans on a bipartisan slate of twenty incumbents, every one of whom voted for the Faster Labor Contracts Act.
“I’m deeply honored to have the endorsements of a broad coalition of labor unions representing the men and women who build our roads and buildings, deliver our packages, run our trains, crew our ships, move our mail, keep our communities safe, and keep the government running,” said Congressman Mike Lawler. “I’ll never stop fighting for the workers who are the backbone of the Hudson Valley economy, and I’ll work every day to keep their support and their respect.”
“Our members understand the importance of electing leaders who recognize the value of good-paying union jobs, strong workplaces, and the dignity of working people. We believe Congressman Lawler has demonstrated a commitment to the issues that matter to working families throughout the Hudson Valley and beyond,” said Louis A. Picani, President and Principal Officer of Teamsters Local 456. “Based on his record, his engagement with our members, and his understanding of the challenges facing working families, Teamsters Local 456 is proud to endorse Congressman Mike Lawler for re-election.”
“It’s an honor to support this bipartisan group of incumbents, because the Faster Labor Contracts Act is a game-changer, and it will empower workers more than any federal law that’s been passed since the New Deal. Support for this bill is a litmus test for whether a member of Congress actually supports the American worker, and every one of our endorsed candidates passed that test with flying colors,” said Thomas Gesualdi, President of Teamsters Joint Council 16, announcing the New York Teamsters’ endorsements on August 27.
“You have a proven track record and the experience of representing all of the people in the Hudson Valley in a way that many others cannot do. We appreciate what you do for us, and we very strongly support you in the next election coming up in November of 2026,” said Sam Fratto, Business Manager of IBEW Local 363.
“Our Council represents over 28,000 members who are dedicated to their craft and who set the highest standards for skills in the construction industry,” said Scott Smith, Business Manager of Carpenters Local 279, on behalf of the North Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters. “We stand with you in the upcoming election.”
“We appreciate your willingness to work across party lines and your commitment to advancing policies that strengthen transportation safety, support working families, and promote economic opportunities,” said Michael S. Baldwin, President of the Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen. “Your decision to sign the letter to Secretary Duffy urging the Department of Transportation to maintain long-standing rail safety requirements and reject efforts to weaken in-person inspections reflects a clear commitment to protecting railroad employees, the traveling public, and the communities our members serve every day.”
Lawler is a proud Davis-Bacon Republican. He provided the 218th signature on the discharge petition that forced a House vote on the Protect America’s Workforce Act (H.R. 2550), which restores collective bargaining rights for federal employees, and he was one of 20 Republicans who voted for it when it passed the House 231 to 195 on December 11, 2025. He cosponsored the Faster Labor Contracts Act (H.R. 5408), signed the discharge petition that brought it to the floor, and was one of 20 Republicans who voted for it when it passed 230 to 193 on June 9, 2026.
He co-led the bipartisan Safe Tracks Act on rail safety with Rep. Laura Gillen (D-NY) and cosponsored the Railroad Yardmaster Protection Act (H.R. 4095). He introduced the Transit Funding Flexibility Act (H.R. 5024) to let federal transit dollars support transit workers’ pay, benefits, and training, and cosponsored the SHIPS for America Act (H.R. 3151) to rebuild the American maritime workforce, the Rights for the TSA Workforce Act (H.R. 2086), the Protect Our Letter Carriers Act (H.R. 1065), and H.Res. 70 opposing privatization of the Postal Service. He co-led the Warehouse Worker Protection Act (H.R. 4896). In August, he brought Secretary of Labor Keith Sonderling to the Hudson Valley to meet with the Westchester-Putnam Building Trades Council. Since taking office, Lawler has secured more than $80 million in community project funding and federal investment for the Hudson Valley.