New York State AFL-CIO president Mario Cilento praised outgoing president Andy Pallotta for being a leader in the truest sense of the word and commended his intellect, passion, skill, humility and ability to inspire.
Cilento highlighted that 24 percent of the workforce in this state is organized – twice the national average – and stressed the importance of working from the same playbook from Buffalo to Brooklyn, public sector to private sector and everything in-between.
And as the largest affiliate of the state AFL-CIO, Cilento thanked NYSUT for everything its members are doing for the next generation. He expressed that it is really educators who have the unique ability to unite us as a society because they bring to all of us lessons that we keep for the rest of our lives.