With nine days left in the legislative session, gay rights advocates are making the final push for passage of a same-sex marriage bill with help from the state’s most powerful labor unions.
Union leaders have used their influence in Albany and devoted union resources in an effort to persuade Senate members to support a bill that would allow gay couples to marry in New York.
Community organizers from the powerful health care union 1199 SEIU and its sister union, building service union SEIU 32BJ, have worked for the past few weeks with the Empire State Pride Agenda, which has led lobbying efforts to promote the bill. The New York State United Teachers union and the New York City Central Labor Council have provided phone banks to assist the effort.
The unions, as well as the AFL-CIO, municipal public employees union DC 37, Communication Workers of America Local 1 and 1180 and UNITE HERE have sent memorandums and letters of support to individual legislators.
Michael Fishman, the building services union president, has used union resources to support the advocacy effort through lobbying calls and visits. He met with other labor leaders Thursday to discuss ways to galvanize support and step up the effort, said Matthew Nerzig, a union spokesman.
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