Brian McLaughlin
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Brian M. McLaughlin is an American Democratic Party politician in New York. From Flushing, Queens, he is a New York Assemblyman elected in 1992 to represent the 25th district. He is also President of the New York City Central Labor Council (CLC), which is a part of the AFL-CIO.. Mr. McLaughlin and his wife Eva live in Flushing, New York, and are the parents of five children. He was arrested October 17th 2006 on charges of stealing more than $2 million from the state of New York and labor unions.
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[edit] Labor
Mr. McLaughlin has been active in New York City’s labor movement for more than two decades. He worked closely with the CLC under the leadership of Harry Van Arsdale, Jr., and as the assistant to Harry’s successor and son Thomas Van Arsdale. In June 1995, he was unanimously elected to be the third President in the history of the organization.
McLaughlin has often expressed that he views education an important part of the labor movement. He advocates that each local union become a respected center of education, as “only an educated and active working class can make its needs known.”
Recently, Mr. McLaughlin has been involved in a variety of notable political campaigns. He was instrumental in organizing the "Labor For Democracy" campaign to defeat a mayoral proposal calling for nonpartisan elections on the November 2004 New York City election ballot. Also he recently served as the New York chairman of the Immigrant Workers Freedom Ride, a campaign which calls for "a road to citizenship, the reunification of families, a voice and dignity in the workplace, and the civil rights of all people." During the 2004 Republican National Convention, Mr. McLaughlin worked with convention organizers to negotiate no-strike labor agreements, in order to secure the convention's venue in New York. During the convention, Mr. McLaughlin organized a rally of unionists from a wide variety of trades to protest certain anti-labor policies of the Bush Administration.
He also led the CLC to create a special Commission on the Dignity of Immigrants, a partnership between the Council and the Archdiocese of New York, and the immigration subcommittee, in an attempt to secure the rights and address the needs of immigrants and new New Yorkers.
Most recently, Mr. McLaughlin has focused on safety issues in the workplace, working with New York law enforcement officials on more effective means of enforcing workplace health and safety regulations. He has advocated criminally charging negligent employers.
Since 1999, under Mr. McLaughlin’s direction, the Central Labor Council has also actively promoted the Labor in the Pulpits program, in which union members speak at local congregations of all faith traditions regarding the work of organized labor and the bond between labor and religion.
Mr. McLaughlin is also part of a coalition urging the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation to commit $1 billion in post-9/11 federal funding toward the "Liberty Jobs” plan, which would put 60,000 unemployed New Yorkers back to work. Mr. McLaughlin also supports several major economic development projects in New York City that would secure good jobs and revenue activity, including the expansion of the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, the development of the New York City Sports Stadium, and the city’s bid for the Olympics 2012.
[edit] Wal-Mart
This past year, McLaughlin has led the fight to keep Wal-Mart stores out of New York City because of what critics say are the retailer’s poor working standards, wages, health benefits and treatment of its workers. McLaughlin was also instrumental in getting the New York City Healthcare Security Act passed in the City Council mandating that retail and grocery businesses provide adequate healthcare coverage for its workers.
[edit] Elected Representative
In 1992, Mr. McLaughlin was elected to the New York State Assembly by the residents of the 25th Assembly District, which is made up of Flushing, Whitestone, Fresh Meadows, Flushing Heights, Hillcrest, Jamaica, Kew Garden Hills and Richmond Hill – one of the most ethnically, culturally, and economically diverse legislative districts in the country. Mr. McLaughlin recently announced he will not seek re-election to the Assembly in order to devote more time to the labor movement. Praised by The New York Times for “his progressive views and strong community involvement,” he is the author of more than a 40 new state laws, including measures to toughen crime laws, preserve the quality of life of residential neighborhoods, and improve access to health care in New York City. He is author of the Sharps bill, which has prevented thousands of work place injuries in the health care industry. Mr. McLaughlin served as Chairman of the Democratic Conference. He has also served on the influential Ways and Means Committee.
[edit] Electrician
Mr. McLaughlin started his labor career as a journeyman electrician, and today remains a member of IBEW Local 3, as well one of the union’s Business Representatives. While working as an electrician, he continued his education, receiving a Bachelor of Science Degree from Empire State College of the State University of New York and Master’s Degree in Industrial Labor Relations from the New York Institute of Technology.
