Teamsters Applaud Hochul Victory in NY 26th District Special Election

Voters Reject Republican Anti-Worker Agenda

WASHINGTON, May 25, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Teamsters Union hailed Kathy Hochul's victory in her bid to represent New York's 26th District in the U.S. Congress as a triumph for working families and a rejection of extremist Republican attacks on Medicare and other protections for the middle class.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100127/IBTLOGO)

Hochul campaigned on bringing good jobs to New York and supporting working families with Medicare and Social Security. In what was once a Republican stronghold, voters in the 26th District did an about-face when the Republican candidate for office embraced the plan to gut Medicare.

"When will these right-wing extremists get the message? The middle class will not allow them to push their anti-worker agenda forward," said Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa. "Attacking Medicare is not the answer. By putting candidates that support working Americans in office like Kathy Hochul, we can begin to rebuild the middle class."

Hochul's win is just the latest in a string of victories in conservative strongholds across the country. Democratic candidates in Wisconsin, New Hampshire and Florida have all won recent elections, sending a clear message that Americans have had enough of corporate-backed politicians who refuse to defend the middle class.

"Kathy Hochul's victory will benefit all working families in New York," said Gene Delorme, President of Teamsters Joint Council 46 in Albany. "Many of our local unions supported Hochul by going door-to-door, phone banking, direct-mail activities and participating in a Labor Walk earlier this month."

"Our members know that when their rights are being threatened, as they are now by the Republican Party, they will vote to oppose that threat," said Richard Lipsitz, Teamsters Joint Council 46 political coordinator.

Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents more than 1.4 million hardworking men and women in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. Visit www.teamster.org for more information.

SOURCE International Brotherhood of Teamsters