Labor unions have evolved tremendously since their inception in 1866 in the United States.  Today, some unions in the Buffalo region are responding to free market fundamentalism with the development of multiple coalition partners.  Coalitions are composed of unions and like-minded activist organizations. This creative response to a long-term economic crisis has created a high road social infrastructure.  Unions have moved beyond their traditional roles of collective bargaining and representation to a more community-oriented mission of improving the quality of local jobs

Anderson, Heather J

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Labor Unions and Coalitions in Buffalo 
Heather J. Anderson 
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Labor Unions and Coalitions in Buffalo 
Abstract 
Labor unions have evolved tremendously since their inception in 1866 in the United States. Today, some 
unions in the Buffalo region are responding to free market fundamentalism with the development of 
multiple coalition partners. Coalitions are composed of unions and like-minded activist organizations. 
This creative response to a long-term economic crisis has created a high road social infrastructure. 
Unions have moved beyond their traditional roles of collective bargaining and representation to a more 
community-oriented mission of improving the quality of local jobs. 
Keywords 
Buffalo, Economic Development, Organized Labor, Report, Other, PDF 
This article is available at DigitalCommons@ILR: https://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/buffalocommons/34 
Labor Unions and Coalitions in Buffalo 
By Heather J. Anderson 
 
How Have Local Unions Evolved? 
Labor unions have evolved tremendously since their inception in 1866 in the 
United States.  Today, some unions in the Buffalo region are responding to free market 
fundamentalism with the development of multiple coalition partners.  Coalitions are 
composed of unions and like-minded activist organizations.  This creative response to a 
long-term economic crisis has created a high road social infrastructure. 
1
  
Unions have moved beyond their traditional roles of collective bargaining and 
representation to a more community-oriented mission of improving the quality of local 
jobs.   
 
What Happened to the Booming Industry in Buffalo? 
Industry has declined in the Buffalo region over the past 50 years.  Since the mid 
1950s, manufacturing has shed over 125,000 jobs in the region.  To give one example, 
many local jobs depended on the U.S auto industry, which took a hard hit in the 1970’s 
and 80’s with the combination of oil embargos and foreign competition.  As Americans 
turned to smaller, high-quality imported cars, employment in the auto industry declined 
by almost 30% from 1979 to 1982. When the 
auto industry began to decline in the late 
1970s and early 1980s, the United Auto 
Workers negotiated employment protections 
with the Big Three American auto 
companies.  The workers took wage 
concessions in exchange for job and income 
guarantees and a profit sharing plan.  The 
relationship between labor and management 
underwent a fundamental change.  More of a 
partnership evolved from the traditional 
adversarial relationship. 
Economic decline led to population 
decline in Buffalo.  The diminishing tax base 
has led to chronic budget problems, fiscal 
insolvency, and supervision of city and 
county government finances by state appointed control boards.
1
   
Buffalo boasts miles of waterfront, ample renewable energy, a highly skilled labor 
force with a strong work ethic, rich architectural assets, distinguished institutions of 
higher educations, and exceptional arts and cultural institutions. But despite the abundant 
resources, private investment has been difficult to attract to the Buffalo region.
1
 
 
Is the Buffalo Region Still a Union Town? 
In 2003, Buffalo’s union density was 25.3%, ranking it 13th in the United States 
260 metropolitan areas.  The efforts of local unions have saved high quality jobs in the 
                                                 
 
 2 
region.  Through lobbying efforts, labor unions have advocated successfully for 
businesses subsidies in the form of discounted power for manufacturing facilities.  Labor 
officials, with the help of state and local government and local labor educators, led 
workplace change in the 1980’s and early 90’s, that bought unprecedented growth to in-
firm employee involvement and quality of work life programs.
2
 
Labor unions in the Buffalo region are joining community coalitions.  The new 
outlook for unions is known as social movement unionism.  In the most general sense of 
the term, social movement unionism refers to labor unions organizing beyond the point of 
production and into the communities where workers live. It is an ideological 
transformation, in which unions look to address the issues of workers as a class, rather 
than simply as employees of a specific workplace. Labor’s activity in the fight to improve 
the situation of housing for the poor and working-class is an example how social 
movement unionism works.
3
   
 
What New Things are being Accomplished Through 
Collective Bargaining? 
During contract negotiations or collective bargaining, 
some unions are pushing for the inclusion of various social 
justice clauses to be added to the collective agreement. One 
example of this may be a demand that a percentage of future 
wages be transferred to a fund to be used to effect social 
justice issues nationally or internationally on behalf of the 
union membership. Another example is a recent trend of demanding a portion of hourly 
wages to be deferred to a P.E.L. (paid education leave) fund, to allow union members to 
leave the work place for a period of time, at no loss of pay, so they can attend social 
justice seminars and educational programs.  
 
Local Coalitions and Labor Unions 
Coalitions are politically active around issues such as immigrant rights, trade 
policy, health care, and living wage campaigns.  Living wage laws typically cover 
businesses that receive state assistance or have contracts with the government.
5
   
 
1. The Coalition for Economic Justice (CEJ):  Formed in 1986, CEJ works with 
religious, academic, labor, and community activists to improve living standards for the 
Western New York community. It seeks to forge effective alliances, educate the 
community at large, and provide direct support for workers facing injustice.  CEJ has 
helped thousands of workers over the years stand up for their right to form a union, 
bargain a fair contract, prevent unjust lay-offs, and lift up their voices.  CEJ is a local 
chapter of the organizations Jobs with Justice and the New York State Labor Religion 
Coalition.  The goals of CEJ are to organize support for workers treated unjustly or 
illegally in the workplace, and to address the root causes of poverty while working for 
economic policies that benefit the entire community. 
 
2. The Champions Network is a partnership of business and union leaders that 
utilizes their experience in collective bargaining at the firm and industry level to create a 
more collaborative, creative approach to regional economic development. Originally 
 3 
formed through a study conducted by Cornell 
University in 2000 entitled Champions at Work: 
employment, Workplace Practices and Labor-
Management Relations in Western New York, the 
partnership expanded in 2003.  It is now comprised of 
four task forces that tackle issues such as the region’s 
image, coordination of development functions, citizen 
involvement and voter registration, and business-labor 
relations with government. 
7
  The Champions Network 
has found clear evidence of world-class workplace 
practices and workforce quality in Western New York, 
and as a result, recognizes leaders in sustainable 
cooperative progress in the workplace through the 
Champions @ Work Award.  The award was granted 
to Ford Buffalo Stamping plant in 2004 for its work 
with the UAW Local 897, New Era Cap Company in 
2005 for its work with the CWA Local 14177, Mittal 
Steel USA-Lackawanna in 2007 for its work with the 
USW Local 2604, and Cameron Compression Systems 
in 2008 for its work with the IAMAW Niagara Lodge 
330, District 65. 
 
3. The City of Buffalo Living Wage Commission was established by law in 2003 to 
evaluate, monitor, and enforce the City of Buffalo’s Living Wage Ordinance.  The Living 
Wage Ordinance was unanimously passed by the Buffalo Common Council in 1999 and 
amended in 2002 and 2007.  The Ordinance applies to all City of Buffalo employees as 
well as to all employees of contractors with City contracts worth more than $50,000 and 
who employ more than 10 people.  The 2008 living wage is $9.90 with health benefits 
and $11.11 without health benefits. On January 1, 2009 the living wage rate will increase 
to $10.31 with health benefits and $11.57 with benefits.  The living wage rate is adjusted 
for inflation by an annual cost of living adjustment based on the Consumer Price Index.  
The Living Wage Commission has the power to investigate and address grievances, 
recommend sanctions, and review exemptions.  A grievance form, and other information 
can be found on the web at 
www.ci.buffalo.ny.us/Home/CityServices/Living_Wage_Commission. The Commission 
is made up of nine voting members from area organizations including faith groups, 
academics, business and labor organizations.  
 
4. The Buffalo Economic Development Group (EDG): The EDG represents the 
Labor Councils of Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Niagara and 
Orleans Counties.  This broad-based union coalition collaborates with the Champions 
Network and engages in its own projects.  The EDG formed in 1999 when union officials 
met to devise a response to the Buffalo Niagara Enterprise, a project of local politicians 
and business people to attract private investment in the region. One of the EDG projects 
is district energy systems and the re-licensing of the Niagara Power Authority to ensure 
low-cost sustainable energy sources for the future.  Another project is the HUD-
 4 
sponsored housing rehabilitation in the City of Buffalo.  The EDG also works on skills 
training programs for urban youth.
4
 
  
5. The Buffalo Chapter of The Coalition of Black Trade Unionists (CBTU): The 
CBTU consists of members from seventy-seven international and national unions with 
forty-two chapters across the country. The CBTU projects and objectives are to improve 
economic development and employment opportunities for black workers, work within the 
framework of the trade union movement to provide a voice and vehicle for greater 
African American and minority participation, increase union involvement in voter 
registration, voter education and voter turnout projects, organize unorganized workers, 
actively support civil rights and civic groups working to improve living and working 
conditions in the black community, and increase effective political alliances between 
labor, churches and the general community.  The CBTU supports job training initiatives 
and programs aimed at reducing the African American youth unemployment rate, which 
consistently hovers around 50%. Recognizing the correlation between youth 
unemployment and education, CBTU chapters continue their support for the public 
school systems and oppose reduced funding for educational projects and programs, 
particularly those involving inner city schools.
8
 
 
What Are Some Large Local Labor Organizations? 
    
The region’s most important unions are in health care 
(SEIU, CWA and AFSCME), construction, transportation (IBT), 
manufacturing (UAW, USWA and IAM), and public services 
(AFSCME, NEA, AFT). 
 
1. AFL-CIO:  The Western New York Area Federation of 
Labor: Officially established in June of 2001, the Federation 
consists of the 5 Western New York Central Labor Councils, 
governed by 7 officers and 25 board members from affiliated local unions.  The five 
Councils are the Buffalo Labor Council representing Erie County, the Niagara/Orleans 
Labor Council representing all of Niagara County and the western part of Orleans 
County, the Dunkirk, Jamestown, and the Cattaraugus/Allegany Labor Council 
representing those two Counties in the Southern Tier. These 5 councils represent over 
100,000 members. 
 The Federation is the city of Buffalo’s umbrella organization for unions. It uses 
most of its resources to gain the respect of the community, by doing good deeds.  The 
federation is a major contributor to an array of United Way Campaigns. Another example 
of community work done by unions is that the National Letter Carriers Union, Branch 3, 
collected over 1 million pounds of food in Western New York to supply church food 
pantries, agency food pantries, soup kitchens and the Western NY Food Bank. 
 
 
 5 
 
2. Buffalo Building & Construction Trades Council: provides its members with 
professional education and training to better their skills and to maintain productive and 
safe working environments.  The Trades Council also dedicated to completing its projects 
on time and under budget, which they attain by fostering positive relationships between 
organized labor and management.    
 
Unions that are members of the Buffalo Building & Construction Trades Council: 
 International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers, Local 
#4 
 International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Local #7   
 Bricklayers and Allied Craftsworkers, Local #3 
 Empire State Regional Council of Carpenters Local #289 
 Cement Masons, Local #111 
 International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local #41 
 International Union of Elevator Constructors, Local #14 
 International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental, and Reinforcing 
Ironworkers, Local #6 
 Laborers, Local #210 
 International Union of Operating Engineers, Local #17 
 IUPAT Painters District Council #4 
 Plasterers, Local #9 
 U.A. Plumbers & Steamfitters, Local #22 
 Road Sprinkler Fitters, Local #669 
 Roofers, Local #74 
 Sheet Metal Workers, Local #71 
 Teamsters, Local #4499 
 
  
3. The United Auto Workers Union (UAW): The 
UAW was chartered in 1935.  The first UAW 
president was Mr. Homer S. Martin.  In May 1937 a 
local UAW charter was granted to the GM East 
Delevan Plant.  That charter, Local 424, is the oldest 
auto workers’ local in the Northeast. In that same 
month Local 425 was created at Ford Motor 
Company’s assembly plant in Buffalo, winning 
recognition from Ford in 1941.   
The UAW made progressive strides for auto 
workers.  The UAW’s first sit down strike was in 
Flint, Michigan and lasted 44 days.  Their demands 
were a thirty-hour week to share work with the 
unemployed, an end to line speed up, UAW 
recognition, minimum pay rates, and seniority rights.  
Local 686 at Harrison Raditor, now Delphi, 
 6 
negotiated its first contract in 1942.  That contract gave the union recognition, increased 
wages equal to other GM plants, and gave women equal pay for equal work.  Shortly 
after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the UAW adopted a no-strike pledge for the duration 
of the war.  After the war the UAW was successful in negotiating health insurance, 
pensions, paid vacation, lay-off protections, cost of living adjustments, productivity 
bonuses, and wage increases.   
 
What are some examples of policy advocacy by unions? 
 
IDA REFORM 
In 2008 the AFL-CIO was a major supporter of the Hoyt IDA reform bill (Bill 
No.:  A8703A).  IDA’s, independent authorities, offer financial incentives to attract, 
retain and expand businesses within their jurisdiction. The incentives may include one or 
more of the following: issuance of a low interest rate bond, abatements from real property 
tax and exemptions from sales tax and mortgage recording tax.   
 
The bill requires: 
 The payment of prevailing wages for any construction or building 
renovation work done by IDAs, 
 All employees to be paid no less than the 
median hourly wage for "all occupations" 
for the duration of the financial 
assistance and for five years thereafter; 
 Successor contractors, in cases where a 
previous contract has been terminated, to 
retain all service employees for ninety 
days after the date of contract 
termination and prohibits the discharge of such employees without cause.   
 Prohibits IDA funds from being used for projects not on a brownfield, 
served by existing public sewer and water, or on lands designated as 
suitable for conservation, unless there is no viable alternative.  
 Reinstates the ability of industrial development agencies to provide 
assistance to civic facilities and continuing care retirement communities. 
 Consolidation of the sub-county IDAs of Erie County. 
 The bill has provisions that pertain to obligations of Board members, 
financial reporting to the Comptroller, and Community impact reporting.   
 Other provisions provide for reforms such as compliance schedules for 
green building standards. 
10
 
 
One example of an IDA reform issue is clawbacks.  IDA incentives have 
requirements attached to them, requirements that if not fulfilled result in wasted taxpayer 
money.  Taxpayers want to ensure that the companies that benefit from the incentives 
follow through on the proposed promises that they make to the IDA’s when requesting 
the incentives.  One method to ensure the accountability of the these companies is 
through the use of a claw-back provision. Claw-backs may require the company to, for 
example, actually create the amount of jobs that it proposed that the project would create. 
 7 
Apprenticeship Bill 
On September 19, 2008, Erie County Executive 
Chris Collins effectively suspended the 
controversial county Apprenticeship Law, 
originally passed by the legislature in 2006, which 
requires contractors on Erie County construction 
jobs to offer apprentice-training programs. The 
Apprenticeship Law prevented contractors 
without apprenticeship programs from competing 
for county construction work. The County 
Executive believes the Apprenticeship Law harms 
local business, drives up the cost of county 
projects, and wastes taxpayer dollars. Proponents 
of the law, including union members and union 
supporters, want Apprentice Programs required 
for any company doing business in a county 
funded program.  Opponents of the law, for 
example, the Empire State Chapter of Associated 
Builders and Contractors, purport that the law 
simply bolsters union support at the expense of 
taxpayers.   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Disclaimer: Use of agency and organization logos in no way represenst the endorsement 
of or opinion of the agency itself. 
 
 
Last Revised: December 8, 2008 
 8 
                                                 
1
 Fleron, Lou Jean and Greer, Ian. Labor and Urban Crisis in Buffalo, New York: 
Building a High Road Infrastructure, June 2006. 
 
2
 Fleron, Lou Jean and Greer, Ian. Labor and Urban Crisis in Buffalo, New York: 
Building a High Road Infrastructure, June 2006. 
3
 FINDING LABOR’S VOICE: Social Movement Unionism and Labor/Community 
Coalitions, Robert Penney, George Washington University 2003. 
5
 "Living Wage: Frequently Asked Questions" (factsheet). Retrieved on 6-29-2008. 
7
 Cornell School of Industrial and Labor Relations, Pamphlet high road economics 
@work Conference.  February, 2004. 
 
8
 www.cbtu.org 
9
 http://www.buffalotrades.com/our-mission.shtml 
10
 http://assembly.state.ny.us/leg/?bn=A08703 


Labor Unions and Coalitions in Buffalo

Labor unions have evolved tremendously since their inception in 1866 in the United States.  Today, some unions in the Buffalo region are responding to free market fundamentalism with the development of multiple coalition partners.  Coalitions are composed of unions and like-minded activist organizations. This creative response to a long-term economic crisis has created a high road social infrastructure.  Unions have moved beyond their traditional roles of collective bargaining and representation to a more community-oriented mission of improving the quality of local jobs.EconomicDevelopment__Labor_Unions_and_Coalitions_in_Buffalo.pdf: 63 downloads, before Oct. 1, 2020

Anderson, Heather J.

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