Teachers, AFL-CIO back Dinowitz

Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz is not expected to get a lot of competition against him in the November general election, but he continues to collect endorsements — including a pair of big union nods — just in case.

New York’s AFL-CIO — which represents some 2.5 million members in the state — is backing the longtime lawmaker thanks to what they describe as Dinowitz’s “commitment to fight for social and economic justice, underscored by the belief that we are stronger when working together.”

Especially in an area when the Trump administration is making it more difficult to keep power with unions, Dinowitz called the AFL-CIO “another important voice for working people” throughout the state.

“While the federal government continues their deleterious efforts to expand corporate profits to benefit the wealthiest among us, New York must stand up for the 99.999 percent of people who are not billionaires,” Dinowitz said, in a release. “The AFL-CIO has been a tremendous partner in these efforts, and I look forward to continuing our work together on behalf of all New Yorkers.”

Dinowitz also earned the support of the New York State United Teachers board of directors, including the United Federation of Teachers.

The union represents more than 600,000 classroom teachers and other school employees, as well as retirees and academic and professional faculty.

Dinowitz led a budget that allocated $7.6 billion in state support for higher education, including a $100 raise to the community college base aid rate, for a total of $2,847, according to a release.

The budget also established a teacher loan forgiveness fund providing up to $5,000 per  year.