From left, State Sen. John Mannion, CSEA Onondaga County Local President Dan Vadala and CSEA Central Region President Kenny Greenleaf march in the 2023 Syracuse Labor Parade at the New York State Fairgrounds.
SYRACUSE — CSEA has endorsed State Sen. John Mannion in the June 25 Democratic primary for the U.S. House of Representatives’ New York 22nd Congressional District, which includes Syracuse, Utica and Auburn.
Mannion, a former teachers’ union president, strongly supports working people.
As a state senator, Mannion has fought for the creation of good-paying union jobs and funding for education, health care and other vital services. He has also advocated for recruitment and retention of public employees.
As a moderate Democrat in the Senate, Mannion has shown a willingness to work across party lines. This advocacy will continue in the House, which has recently been facing turmoil and inaction.
“Throughout his years as a public schoolteacher and labor activist, John Mannion has fought for the working people of Central New York,” said CSEA Central Region President Kenny Greenleaf. “It’s important to have a seat at the table and a voice for labor. John Mannion understands the needs of working families in this region, and we are proud to endorse his candidacy for Congress.”
“It means a lot to have labor’s support because if you stand alone, you’re in trouble,” said Mannion. “Labor unions have always stood with me when I’ve ran for office. I wouldn’t have run had I not known that I would have that support from labor.”
Union roots, union involvement
Mannion was raised in a union family, with his grandfather and both parents belonging to unions.
“I’m always going to stand with labor because it’s a part of my history and it’s a part of this region’s history in Central New York and beyond,” said Mannion. “Labor and working people are imbedded into the fabric of my family.”
Mannion was a teacher for almost 30 years, teaching at Syracuse City School District and West Genesee Central School District. He was a member of New York State United Teachers (NYSUT) and served as president of the West Genesee Teachers Association for eight years.
“We were in a time where there was decreased funding for school districts,” said Mannion. “We opened a contract and took a zero percent and that was very impactful on me. This was before I was a union leader, because I knew it wasn’t the will of the people.”
This inspired him to become a union representative. Soon, Mannion became union president at his district because of his frustrations with the state’s overemphasis on testing and a defunct teacher evaluation system.
In the first contract he negotiated, Mannion helped secure significant wage increases, helped get justice for workers on parental leave who had lost wages and bolstered retiree health care. The contract was unanimously ratified.
State. Sen. John Mannion joins CSEA Central Region members, staff and other labor union members for a recent labor walk in Dewitt and Manlius to support Mannion’s Congressional campaign. From left are SEIU Local 1199 member Sara Cooper, AFT member Adam O’Neill, CSEA Political Action Coordinator Josh Schick, State Sen. John Mannion, CSEA Onondaga County Local President Dan Vadala and CSEA Syracuse State Employees Local President Diane Burton. (Photo by Kate Evans, field coordinator, Central New York Area Labor Federation.)
Friend of labor
Mannion said he likes to use a line from State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli, also a strong labor supporter: “Everyone’s ‘American Dream’ starts with a good job, and almost undeniably, that good job was a union job.”
Mannion is committed to ensuring the future of those good jobs.
In 2017, Mannion went door-to-door to urge voters to oppose a state constitutional convention. A convention would have opened the state constitution and potentially jeopardized public worker pensions.
After the U.S. Supreme Court issued its Janus opinion in 2018. Mannion proactively ensured members were signed up and informed why their union was valuable to them.
Mannion said he knows what it is like for unions to face challenges because he has also stood strong against them. He continues to stand with union members in his current role.
“My message to is this: stick with your union and listen to your union because there are elected officials and candidates who are hostile toward organized labor and workers for whatever reason,” said Mannion. “Support the people who support you.”
— Nicholas Newcomb
