Video, Audio, Photos & Rush Transcript: Governor Hochul Delivers Remarks at 10th Annual Amsterdam News Labor Awards

Video, Audio, Photos & Rush Transcript: Governor Hochul Delivers Remarks at 10th Annual Amsterdam News Labor Awards

Earlier today, Governor Kathy Hochul attended the 10th Annual Amsterdam News Labor Awards to support both the civil rights and labor rights movements.

VIDEO: The event is available to stream on YouTube here and TV quality video is available here (h.264, mp4).

AUDIO: The Governor's remarks are available in audio form here.

PHOTOS: The Governor's Flickr page has photos of the event here.

A rush transcript of the Governor's remarks is available below:

Thank you for being a leader of an organization that has really been in the conscience of our city and indeed the nation for such a long time. And you mentioned the tax credit, as it became clearer to me that there's so many small publications, smaller markets, that were struggling. Now more than ever, we need the legitimate news media organizations to be strong.

To hire more people, to continue telling the truth in the face of so many lies, the fake news penetrating our political culture because people, especially young [people], are getting their news from sources that are just so biased and so wrong. And it's feeding this sense of chaos that is out there, that everything's wrong and bombard with messages all day long.

So Elinor, it was an easy decision for me to make. We had to come across a lot of headwinds, but that's what it's like in Albany. And we're able to achieve this, and I feel really, really proud that we're able to do something that's going to continue to lift up the Amsterdam News and make sure you are here for the next 100 years to go.

Yvette Clark is in the house. A great friend of mine from our days in Congress. I want to thank her. I saw her at the convention sitting next to her mom every single night. They must have got there at two in the afternoon to get the best seats in the house. And I just - I really cherish our friendship. We worked a really, long time together.

George Gresham, thanks for opening up the house to us. Let me now remind you of our wonderful panel. And of course, our honorees. Again, Elinor explained and Giovanni explained the confluence of starting off the tributes to labor over Labor Day and wrapping up with this, this incredible event that has a long history.

And Mario Cilento has been the voice of labor in such a powerful and impactful way. I call on him often as we wrestle through the challenges facing our state, as so many people have been abused in the workplace, and how we can protect them from unscrupulous employers who will take their salaries and wage theft and all these other issues we're working on.

I want to thank him for being a champion but also an ally of mine. Let's give another round of applause to Mario Cilento. Mario Cilento.

Vinny Alvarez. Vinny. Building our city one block at a time. It looks extraordinary. You just lead with such determination, the men and women you represent, and you continue to show that there is no place like New York, and you cannot ever, ever think you can stop us. Let's give a round of applause to Vinny.

Greg Floyd, a long time friend of mine, he used to pay attention to me when I was Lieutenant Governor, back when no one knew who I was, right? He used to have me on the show. Phyllis was always hollering he was going to be on the show. Thank you for all you do. We had a great conversation about some of the issues that are facing his members.

I want to thank him for his leadership of Teamsters 237, and of course all of you here today. I'm so proud to be here this morning, because when you think about the topic of this breakfast - the power of unions, but when you bring the power of unions with the power of people committed to civil rights.

That is an unstoppable coalition. I mean, it goes back so long. I mean, when Dr. King marched on Washington in 1963, who was he surrounded with? Union members. They were his flank. They were his warriors going into battle every single day. So it has been a long time, an alliance, that has been so impactful.

And he recognized that organized labor and civil rights movements, we're fighting for the same goals, right? It's fighting to lift people up, giving them dignity, giving them respect, giving them a home, giving them an education, giving them the right to vote. So the alliance and the synergy between the two has always been there, but he was able to call it out so articulately.

And he said our needs are identical with labor's needs. Decent wages, fair working conditions, livable housing, old age security, health and welfare. Conditions that allow families to grow. He was right in 1963, and it's just that philosophy still holds here today. And you've heard me tell this story of my engagement with two issues, the labor movement.

When I was a young child, my father became a union organizer. At the time he was at the steel plant and they went on strike. My parents had no income my first year of life because they were on strike. I remember my grandparents were having to bring over food for us. Grandpa worked at the steel plant, and it was just a tough, tough time when I was really, really young.

And it had an effect on me. That you're willing to make those sacrifices if you're standing up for the right thing. And that has been part of who I am ever since I saw my dad in those struggles in our early, early days. But also, my parents were also civil rights champions back in the 60s. Now, it was not a popular thing to do in our white, working class neighborhood. I will tell you that right now.

My parents were working on a project called HOME, Housing Opportunities Made Equal. They were one of the founders in Buffalo. They would invite black families to sit on our front porch and let the neighborhood see who our friends were. And we were able to finally get some people to be able to move into our community.

And I'll never forget the image of the cross burning in their front lawn outside of Buffalo, New York. My parents were welcoming them, saying this is wrong, standing up. So those are just small snippets of something I witnessed as a child, can help me understand the journey continues. We're not through with this.

And that's why - I was so proud to sign the law calling for reparations, a study of slavery in our own state. We are not clean from the sin of slavery. We are not. It is not just something that happened in the South. And I have a great group of people that are uncovering the stories now and trying to figure out how we can set things right.

You've also worked on the John Lewis Voting Rights Act. I served with John Lewis, and I served with him in Congress. You know, I was elected to Congress in the special election in May of 2011. Gosh, a long time ago. And I had just seen John Lewis, I wasn't even elected yet. John Lewis was the keynote speaker at my daughter's college graduation. And to see the way he connected - this older gentleman, you know - when he told the stories of the battles in the south that he was really on the front lines of, these kids stood up and I've never seen so much enthusiasm in 20-year-old kids in my life. And literally two weeks later, I was his colleague in Congress. I went and told him that. I said, "Don't underestimate the power that you still hold to tell your stories." So, he has been lost and I miss him terribly, but his legacy continues on forever with the challenges he fought for.

But my friends in labor, we need more workers, number one, and why not give people a chance after they pay their debt to society? Welcome them back. You're part of our family again. And that's what it's all about. And I'll tell you this: I'll continue to take on those fights. I don't mind getting knocked around. You know that about me. I will lead into battle to do what is right and what is just any day of the week. That is what I learned from the labor movement, that is what I learned from the civil rights movement, and I'm so proud to be with all of you here today and continue the march. And onward to victory in November. Am I allowed to talk politics here? Oh, okay. Alright. Let's talk about this.

My friends, we have to win in November to make Kamala Harris President of the United States. What I'm working on is making sure that Yvette Clarke is now in the majority with her friend Hakeem Jeffries as the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

We talked about union power, and how I'm doing that? I have turned the New York State Democratic Party into something that it should have been all along: a powerhouse. Nobody harnessed that energy. It was only used every time a governor ran every four years and turned up the engines and got it roaring, and then it shut down again.

What's wrong with that picture? We're leaving so many people. We're not building the farm team. I was the farm team. I was elected to this council 30 years ago. I've crawled my way up through every level of government. I want to invest into races and help them as well. But this year it's all for everything.

Everything matters. And I'm working hard to help them. I'm raising money, helping raise awareness, sending people in busloads from the City of New York. Can we send some of your people out? Okay. Make sure you vote for your Yvette, and then get on a bus and go to a battleground area of Long Island, the Hudson Valley, or over to Syracuse. It's a beautiful state. Go see it. Get on a bus, and make a difference. And so, we're going to bring it home, everybody. I feel so confident. Labor, civil rights leaders, media organizations, and people just give a damn about our future coming together to take back our country and make sure Kamala Harris is elected.

Thank you everybody.

Contact the Governor's Press Office