named programs · 2 · from sources
What they call their work
Judicial Candidate Interview Committee (JCIC)
Appointed by the WNYALF to review judicial candidates, conduct interviews, and make endorsement recommendations to the WNYALF Executive Council, which holds final decision authority.
Political Endorsement Program
Coordinates endorsement processes for candidates running for public office at local, state, and federal levels through its Central Labor Councils and affiliate unions; includes interviews, weighted voting by affiliates, and final approval by the NYS AFL-CIO for state and federal races.
activities · 9 groups
What they do
-
Worker Rights Advocacy & Wage Protection 3 activities
- Advocate for fair contracts for unionized workersSupports union workers in contract negotiations through public advocacy campaigns, including for the Albany Newspaper Guild and Starbucks workers across more than 60 cities.
- Advocate for public policy supporting working familiesEngages in advocacy at local, state, and federal levels to advance policies that support working families, including unemployment benefit increases and opposition to government shutdowns.
- Organize rallies and mobilize members for policy changeMobilizes thousands of union members to participate in rallies, such as at MVP Arena in Albany, to advocate for Tier 6 pension reform and other labor-related policy changes.
-
-
Civil Rights Advocacy & Litigation 1 activity
- Build progressive coalitions for social and economic justiceOrganizes and participates in community and political activities to build broad coalitions advancing social and economic justice in Western New York.
-
-
Labor-Backed Candidate Endorsements & Electoral Support 1 activity
- Conduct political and judicial candidate endorsement processesInterviews candidates, makes endorsement decisions for local offices through Central Labor Councils using a weighted voting system, submits state and federal recommendations to NYS AFL-CIO, and evaluates judicial candidates via a dedicated committee.
-
-
Community Festival & Event Production 1 activity
- Host community and labor eventsOrganizes and hosts events such as anniversary celebrations and gatherings at locations like Buffalo River Grove in West Seneca, NY, featuring family activities and labor leader participation.
-
-
Member Hardship Assistance Programs 1 activity
- Operate disaster relief and pension support services for seafarersManages the Seafarers Disaster Relief Fund to assist members and retirees affected by hurricanes and other disasters, and provides pension support and news dissemination through The Federal Mariner and Mobile News Network.
-
-
Union Member Communications 1 activity
- Produce the Union Strong podcastProduces and publishes the Union Strong podcast featuring discussions with labor leaders and coverage of labor issues including contract disputes, government shutdown impacts, and pension reform advocacy.
-
-
Recreational Boating and Sailing Programs 1 activity
- Provide maritime training and apprenticeshipsOffers training programs and apprenticeships for maritime workers through the Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education and the Harry Lundeberg School of Seamanship.
-
-
Labor Union Representation & Organizing 1 activity
- Support workplace unionization effortsSupports workers in organizing and unionizing workplaces to negotiate for fair wages, benefits, and working conditions.
-
-
Uncategorized 1 activity
- Raise awareness of threats to public programs and benefitsHighlights risks to critical public programs, including SNAP funding expiration affecting over 42 million Americans and potential doubling of ACA insurance premiums for 22 million people.
-
financials · form 990 · fy2025
revenue
Total revenue$357K
Contributions & grants$81K23%
Program service revenue$275K77%
Investment income$570%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$295K
Program expenses—
Admin / overhead—
Fundraising—
Salaries & benefits$127K
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$70K
Cash$44K
Investments$26K
Liabilities$256
Net assets$70K
Liquid reserves2.9 mo
6 years on record · 2020–2025 · YoY revenue +41.0%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2025
Who runs it
paid leadership · 2
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| DENISE ABBOTT - NEW 2025 | PRESIDENT | 5 | $6K |
| PETER DE JESUS JR - PAST 2025 | PRESIDENT | 5 | $6K |
board members · 23
- CHARMAINE BOWMAN — BOARD MEMBER
- CORI GAMBINI — BOARD MEMBER
- DAVE CHUDY — BOARD MEMBER
- DAVID GROSSKOPF JR — BOARD MEMBER
- DEBORA HAYES — BOARD MEMBER
- DENISE ABBOTT - PAST 2025 — BOARD MEMBER
- DENISE SZYMURA - PAST 2025 — VICE PRESIDENT
- DON WILLIAMS JR — BOARD MEMBER
- DONNA WALTERS — BOARD MEMBER
- EARKIEL EATON — BOARD MEMBER
- GRACE BOGDANOVE — BOARD MEMBER
- JAMES BRIGGS — BOARD MEMBER
- JAMES LAKEMAN — BOARD MEMBER
- JEFFREY RICHARDSON — BOARD MEMBER
- JOE CANTAFIO — SECRETARY
- JOE VERTALINO - NEW 2025 — BOARD MEMBER
- JOSH MOBERLY - NEW 2025 — BOARD MEMBER
- KEVIN DRYSDALE — BOARD MEMBER
- LONNIE EVERETT — BOARD MEMBER
- LOUISA FLETCHER-PACHECO — BOARD MEMBER
- MARK MANNA — BOARD MEMBER
- MICHAEL GAISER — BOARD MEMBER
- MICHELLE BOLLMAN - NEW 2025 — EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT
relationships · 16
Who they work with
- AFL-CIO Coalition — Collaborates with AFL-CIO on worker advocacy initiatives and campaign actions.
- AFL-CIO Network — Member of the national AFL-CIO federation.
- AFL-CIO Network — Member of the national AFL-CIO labor federation network.
- AFL-CIO Network — Member organization of the AFL-CIO, participating in its initiatives and news network.
- AFLCIO Network — Collaborates with AFLCIO on advocacy campaigns, including joint calls to action.
- Albany Newspaper Guild Partner — Supports the Albany Newspaper Guild in contract negotiations and public advocacy efforts.
- NYS AFL-CIO Coalition — Partner organization in issuing joint advocacy letters and public statements.
- NYS AFL-CIO Network — Submits formal endorsement recommendations for state and federal candidates to the NYS AFL-CIO for final determination.
- New York State AFL-CIO Network — Collaborates with the New York State AFL-CIO on the Tier 6 pension reform advocacy campaign.
- New York State AFL-CIO Partner — Collaborates with the New York State AFL-CIO by featuring its president on the Union Strong podcast.
- New York State Assembly Government — Collaborates with state legislative bodies to advance labor policy
- New York State Department of Labor Government — Collaborates with the Department to inform workers about changes to unemployment benefits.
- Seafarers International Union Partner — Western New York Area Labor Federation recognizes the Seafarers International Union as an affiliated union within the AFL-CIO federation.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Government — Cites data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics to support claims about union workers' access to paid time off.
- United Nations Government — References the UN's Universal Declaration of Human Rights as foundational to the labor movement's human rights framework.
- Women's National Basketball Players Association Partner — Collaborates on advocacy efforts and featured in the Union Strong podcast.
strategies · 5
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Collective Bargaining as Worker Empowermentmethodology: collective_bargainingBy organizing unions and enabling collective bargaining, workers secure fair wages, benefits, and working conditions, because worker-led negotiation shifts power dynamics in labor relations.
- Mass Mobilization for Legislative Influencemethodology: mass mobilization for legislative advocacyBy organizing large-scale rallies and grassroots campaigns, the federation demonstrates collective power to influence legislative decisions on issues like pension reform and social benefits, because visible public pressure increases political accountability.
- Policy Advocacy to Improve Economic Securitymethodology: policy-advocacyBy advocating for specific policy changes such as increased unemployment benefits and protections like the Jones Act, the organization improves material conditions for workers, because legislative change creates systemic and scalable impact.
- Storytelling to Build Public Support for Labormethodology: storytelling-advocacyBy using personal narratives and podcasting to humanize labor struggles, the organization increases public empathy and connects workplace issues to broader community impacts, because storytelling makes abstract economic issues relatable and urgent.
- Workers' Rights Framed as Human Rightsmethodology: workers-rights-as-human-rightsBy asserting that workers' rights are human rights, the organization strengthens labor advocacy through moral legitimacy, because this framing links labor equity to universal dignity and expands coalition-building across social justice movements.