McLaughlin Won’t Seek Re-election

Photo courtesy Brian McLaughlin’s office McLaughlin stated his intent to devote his energies to the New York City Central Labor Council at a press conference held Tuesday morning. Citing his intention to serve the labor movement full time, Assemblymember Brian McLaughlin will not seek re-election to the Assembly this year in order to devote all his energies to the New York City Central Labor Council, a federation of 400 union locals with more than 1.3 million members.

McLaughlin, 53, has served as Flushing’s representative in the Assembly for almost 14 years. He has authored more than 40 laws, including the statute that imposed tougher penalties on drunk drivers who cause deaths. For a time early last year he even entertained ideas of running for mayor.

“But I am also acutely aware that the labor movement in this city, and indeed, in the nation, needs to be invigorated. It is still the best means to ensure that working families achieve the kind of life they desire and deserve,” he added.

McLaughlin said that concentrating his energies and expertise in the Central Labor Council, which he has headed for over 10 years, he believes that he “can better serve all New Yorkers.”

McLaughlin, who serves as a Flushing Democratic leader, said he had made his decision to leave the Assembly this early in the year so that anyone who seeks to replace him can mount a campaign and raise campaign funds.

Most favored by this scenario are the two councilmembers representing the Northeast Queens area: John Liu of Flushing, and Tony Avella of Bayside. Neither has addressed the issue. There has been talk among the county’s Democratic leaders of having Avella oppose state Senator Frank Padavan this year.

McLaughlin, his wife, Eva, and their five children have resided in Flushing for many years. Despite a heavy work schedule in Albany and with his labor union duties, McLaughlin has also devoted practically a full-time effort to local district problems.

One of his most recent legislative successes was the enactment of his bill eliminating tax incentives for overdevelopment ,of “McMansions” residences that tower over most other homes in an area.

McLaughlin’s other legislative priorities included criminal justice reform, preservation of residential quality of life, rebuilding the city’s aging infrastructure, promoting economic development and job growth and programs and services for older adults.

Since his election in 1992, he has represented the 25th Assembly District, covering the communities of Flushing, Whitestone, Fresh Meadows, Flushing Heights, Hillcrest and Kew Gardens Hills. More recently, the communities of Richmond Hill, Jamaica and Ozone Park were added to his district. It is now one of the most ethnically diverse districts in the city.

McLaughlin has been involved in the city’s labor movement for most of his adult life. Following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather, he joined the electrical union as an apprentice shortly after graduating from a Long Island high school. He became a journeyman electrician in 1977, and moved to Flushing about that time.

While working in the electrical industry, he continued his education, receiving a bachelor of science degree from Empire State College of the State University of New York and then a master’s degree from the New York Institute of Technology.

Prior to his election to the Assembly, McLaughlin advanced in the labor movement to become pension director of the electrical industry, where he was responsible for securing pension benefits for 3,000 senior citizens.

He has also served as business representative of Local 3, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), AFL–CIO. This led to his election as Central Labor Council president in June 1995, to which he recently was re-elected to another four-year term.

The council functions as a lobbying group at City Hall on work-related concerns and helps unions in their contract negotiations and organizing efforts.

In incidents such as the recent transit strike, McLaughlin rallies other unions to support those out on the picket line and in negotiations. He was a constant presence at the recent strike, showing support for the transit workers’ leaders.

In a recent newspaper article, McLaughlin said his future priorities would be to help unionize security guards in the city as well as fight to change the Taylor Law, which prohibits city workers from striking. That law broke the back of the transit workers’ strike, allowing levying of huge fines against the union and workers.

He also complained that the city’s municipal unions—teachers, police, firefighters—are increasingly forced to work without contracts for long periods of time while there’s no mechanism to force the city administration to negotiate in good faith. “We need to do something to make this fairer,” he stated.

McLaughlin has been a vibrant force in community affairs and activities during his Assembly career. “My Assembly district is one of the most ethnically and geographically diverse in the state, and as its representative in Albany, I learned and experienced first-hand a wide variety of cultures and human needs,” he stated.

The lawmaker has been involved with Korean War veterans, Holocaust survivors in Hillcrest, Greek senior centers, leaders of the Sikh Gurdudwara in Richmond Hill, and Guyanese small business owners in South Ozone Park.

He has also had contact with Catholic Youth Organization soccer coaches, elderly homeowners in Flushing Heights and community boards throughout the sprawling district. He was a frequent visitor to schools and healthcare institutions everywhere in the district.

“As my constituents, they sought my assistance,” he explained, “and as their legislator, I sought to return their confidence in me by helping them realize their dreams.”

McLaughlin served as chairman of the Assembly Real Property Tax Committee and as a member of the committees on Aging, Cities, Transportation and Ways and Means.

His legislative resume includes sponsorship of the Immigration Assistance Services Act, which controls scam artists who prey on immigrants, and many other quality of life measures, such as toughening crime laws, restricting the proliferation of bars and taverns, improving access to health care in the community, and helping Holocaust survivors qualify for state assistance.

McLaughlin was chairman of the Assembly Administrative Regulations Review Commission, which oversees the rule-making process to ensure that agency rules remain faithful to the letter and spirit of the law. Throughout his years in the Assembly he secured funding for countless grassroots programs ranging from senior centers and health care to child care, all to improve the quality of life for working families.

Numerous organizations have honored McLaughlin and recognized his multifaceted efforts. These include the Flushing Council on Culture and the Arts, the Police and Fire Line of Duty Widows of New York City, the Greater Whitestone Taxpayers Civic Association, St. Mel’s Athletic Association, the State of Israel Bonds program, the United Irish Counties Association, the American Cancer Society, the Boy Scouts of America, the American Legion William Leonard Post, the New York branch of the NAACP, New York Families of Autistic Children and the Flushing Chinese Business Association.