The Empire State’s most powerful unions — including the United Federation of Teachers — are backing a “tax the rich” campaign that includes a proposal taking a bigger bite out of New Yorkers who are not millionaires.
The unions representing government workers — listed as supporting the Democratic Socialists of America’s “Tax the Rich” rally in Albany Wednesday — stand to benefit from the billions of dollars in revenues raised by the potential massive tax hikes.
The DSA is pushing one piece of legislation, which Mayor Zohran Mamdani championed as a state assemblyman, that would not just hit millionaires as claimed — but would also raise state income taxes by 10% on couples making $500,000.
Backers of the pro-tax campaign include the “Strong Economy for All Coalition,” with members such as the powerful UFT and affiliated New York State United Teachers unions, 1199 SEIU representing health care workers, the Communication Workers of America and the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union.
Other groups backing the movement include: New Yorkers United for Child Care; the United Auto Workers Local 9A; the Professional Staff Congress representing CUNY professors; the NYS Nurses’ Association; the left-wing Working Families Party; the Federal Unionists Network; the Alliance for Quality Education; New Yorkers United for Child Care and housing activists including the NYS Tenant Bloc and Met Council, among others.
But state Conservative Party Chair Jerry Kassar claimed union leaders may be out of step with their membership, noting nearly half of city voters in labor-heavy districts voted against tax-happy Mamdani in last fall’s general election.
“Couples making $500,000 in New York are not considered rich people. Affordability comes from not raising taxes, but lowering costs,” Kassar said.
He said many unionized government workers believe bloated government spending could be trimmed.
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“Raising taxes will spur an exodus from New York and eventually you’ll run out of people and destroy the tax base that funds the services,” Kassar said.
Spearheading the coalition are Mamdani’s pals at the New York City chapter of the DSA, which even has a website taxtherichny.com.
The bill pushed by the group would also increase the top rate by 220% to 24% on super-rich joint filers making more than $25 million.
While Mamdani didn’t attend the rally, he told reporters he was supportive of the tax hike campaign. A group founded by supporters of the mayor, Our Time for An Affordable NYC, is listed as part of campaign.
