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| Flexing Their Support for Cuomo, Key Unions Leave Working Families Party | Flexing Their Support for Cuomo, Key Unions Leave Working Families Party |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Faced with a fissure on the left flank of the Democratic Party, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo is striking back — not at his Democratic rival, Cynthia Nixon, but at those who have chosen to support her. | Faced with a fissure on the left flank of the Democratic Party, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo is striking back — not at his Democratic rival, Cynthia Nixon, but at those who have chosen to support her. |
| With the Working Families Party — a small but influential coalition of labor unions and progressive activists — considering an endorsement of Ms. Nixon, two powerful unions announced on Friday that they were withdrawing from the party, and other labor leaders have threatened to create a new labor party. | With the Working Families Party — a small but influential coalition of labor unions and progressive activists — considering an endorsement of Ms. Nixon, two powerful unions announced on Friday that they were withdrawing from the party, and other labor leaders have threatened to create a new labor party. |
| The stunning development comes as Mr. Cuomo has also privately urged some of those same unions to withdraw funding from liberal community groups backing Ms. Nixon, according to five people familiar with those conversations. | The stunning development comes as Mr. Cuomo has also privately urged some of those same unions to withdraw funding from liberal community groups backing Ms. Nixon, according to five people familiar with those conversations. |
| Some of those groups were summoned to a meeting with labor leaders on Friday at the Manhattan headquarters of the United Federation of Teachers, an influential player in state politics, having been issued a stern warning. | Some of those groups were summoned to a meeting with labor leaders on Friday at the Manhattan headquarters of the United Federation of Teachers, an influential player in state politics, having been issued a stern warning. |
| Bill Lipton, the state director of the Working Families Party, said that he had attended a meeting earlier this week in which the governor had said, “If unions or anyone give money to any of these groups, they can lose my number.” | Bill Lipton, the state director of the Working Families Party, said that he had attended a meeting earlier this week in which the governor had said, “If unions or anyone give money to any of these groups, they can lose my number.” |
| Mr. Lipton added that the groups in question — Citizen Action, New York Communities for Change and Make the Road Action — had been “at the forefront” of several of the governor’s signature accomplishments, including increasing the minimum wage and criminal justice reform. | Mr. Lipton added that the groups in question — Citizen Action, New York Communities for Change and Make the Road Action — had been “at the forefront” of several of the governor’s signature accomplishments, including increasing the minimum wage and criminal justice reform. |
| The governor, a second-term Democrat facing re-election in the fall, has been aggressive in fending off Ms. Nixon’s unexpectedly vigorous primary challenge, which was announced in mid-March, and has since garnered endorsements from a handful of liberal groups. | The governor, a second-term Democrat facing re-election in the fall, has been aggressive in fending off Ms. Nixon’s unexpectedly vigorous primary challenge, which was announced in mid-March, and has since garnered endorsements from a handful of liberal groups. |
| The most recent nod came early Friday, when Make the Road Action — a grass-roots immigrant rights group that receives ample funding from labor — said it would back Ms. Nixon because of “her strong progressive platform and her commitment to passing and implementing the full protections and supports that our communities need and deserve.” | The most recent nod came early Friday, when Make the Road Action — a grass-roots immigrant rights group that receives ample funding from labor — said it would back Ms. Nixon because of “her strong progressive platform and her commitment to passing and implementing the full protections and supports that our communities need and deserve.” |
| The governor’s campaign said that no member of Mr. Cuomo’s administration was at the meeting on Friday, and referred questions to labor groups themselves. | The governor’s campaign said that no member of Mr. Cuomo’s administration was at the meeting on Friday, and referred questions to labor groups themselves. |
| Michael Mulgrew, president of the teachers’ union, said he urged the advocacy groups on Friday to have the W.F.P. remain neutral until after the Democratic primary. | Michael Mulgrew, president of the teachers’ union, said he urged the advocacy groups on Friday to have the W.F.P. remain neutral until after the Democratic primary. |
| If the group endorses Ms. Nixon and she loses the Democratic primary to Mr. Cuomo, she could remain on the ballot through November competing for votes, potentially to the benefit of the Republican nominee. | If the group endorses Ms. Nixon and she loses the Democratic primary to Mr. Cuomo, she could remain on the ballot through November competing for votes, potentially to the benefit of the Republican nominee. |
| “My only concern is some reckless behavior that will have an unintended consequence of us ending up with a Republican governor,” Mr. Mulgrew said. “When these elections are over, we will judge any decision we have to make off your behavior if you caused bad things to happen — even though it was not your intent you are responsible for them.” | “My only concern is some reckless behavior that will have an unintended consequence of us ending up with a Republican governor,” Mr. Mulgrew said. “When these elections are over, we will judge any decision we have to make off your behavior if you caused bad things to happen — even though it was not your intent you are responsible for them.” |
| He declined to comment on whether Mr. Cuomo had asked him to defund community groups backing Ms. Nixon, saying he has “requests on all sides.” | He declined to comment on whether Mr. Cuomo had asked him to defund community groups backing Ms. Nixon, saying he has “requests on all sides.” |
| “I’m not going to divulge personal conversations,” he said. | “I’m not going to divulge personal conversations,” he said. |
| According to two people in the meeting, the governor’s funding threats went unspoken but still loomed large. | According to two people in the meeting, the governor’s funding threats went unspoken but still loomed large. |
| “You have the largest labor unions in the room who also have been our biggest funders arguing Cynthia should not get the W.F.P. line, which is a pretty forceful argument coming from your biggest funders,” said one participant, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the private meeting and for fear of angering Mr. Cuomo. | “You have the largest labor unions in the room who also have been our biggest funders arguing Cynthia should not get the W.F.P. line, which is a pretty forceful argument coming from your biggest funders,” said one participant, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the private meeting and for fear of angering Mr. Cuomo. |
| Among the labor leaders in attendance were leaders or representatives from Local 32BJ of the Service Employees International Union, R.W.D.S.U., Communications Workers of America District 1 and the U.F.T., which collectively provide hundreds of thousands of dollars to the community groups. | |
| Héctor Figueroa, president of Local 32BJ, and Dennis Trainor, vice president of C.W.A. District 1, confirmed their unions’ withdrawal from the Working Families Party, saying in a joint statement that they “fundamentally believe that endorsing Governor Cuomo is the most effective way to put the interest of working families first.” | |
| “The latest developments show that the current leadership of the W.F.P. disagrees with that approach, and we have been unable to convince them otherwise,” they said, adding, “We are not attending tomorrow’s state committee meeting and will be pulling out of the New York State Working Families Party.” | “The latest developments show that the current leadership of the W.F.P. disagrees with that approach, and we have been unable to convince them otherwise,” they said, adding, “We are not attending tomorrow’s state committee meeting and will be pulling out of the New York State Working Families Party.” |
| The pressure in labor ranks comes even as the W.F.P. is expected to meet in Albany on Saturday to consider endorsing Ms. Nixon, an educational advocate and actress who is making her first run for public office. | The pressure in labor ranks comes even as the W.F.P. is expected to meet in Albany on Saturday to consider endorsing Ms. Nixon, an educational advocate and actress who is making her first run for public office. |
| On Thursday afternoon, Mr. Cuomo had appeared at a rally with a variety of labor leaders to present himself as their champion, and they as his ardent supporters. | On Thursday afternoon, Mr. Cuomo had appeared at a rally with a variety of labor leaders to present himself as their champion, and they as his ardent supporters. |
| “It is the union family,” Mr. Cuomo said. “When one of us is in trouble, we’re all in trouble. It’s solidarity. We stand together.” | “It is the union family,” Mr. Cuomo said. “When one of us is in trouble, we’re all in trouble. It’s solidarity. We stand together.” |