Editor,
I am a representative of the Communications Workers of America Local 1120, which is located in Assemblymember Didi Barrett’s district, where I also live. During her 12 years in office, Didi has had a terrible track record on issues that affect working people like housing and minimum wage. She has been virtually nonexistent to labor at the local level and refuses to assist in any labor disputes in our district. Our union, which has represented about 1,000 workers in her district since 2012, has repeatedly had to remind the assemblymember we exist.
Given this experience, I have been eager for someone who really engages with working class issues to challenge Didi. I could not dream of a better candidate than Claire Cousin. Claire is a working class candidate who eats, sleeps, and breathes her community. She consistently shows up for working people and offers an open line of communication unlike any elected official I’ve ever seen, checking in weekly to see what we need.
New York is not where we should be with a Democratic supermajority because of people like Didi, who aren’t pressing the Assembly to be impactful for working class people. We need someone like Claire who’s going to hold people accountable and represent us, not her wealthy friends. Didi has had her chance to show up for workers. It’s time for a working person to do the job.
Rob Pinto
Poughkeepsie
