October 26, 2026 — “There are really only three ways that regular folks have power in America,” Randi Weingarten, the president of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), told delegates on the first day of Convention. “One way is through education, one is through having a labor movement, and the last way is through politics.”
Weingarten praised PEF for a productive year, which included negotiating a five-year contract, pension improvements, and continuing the fight for dignity and respect in the workplace. She urged everyone to get involved in the process and to hit the polls in November.
“We know that no contract and no legislative session can do everything,” she said. “It is something that one builds on because we have to constantly fight for a better life. That’s why elections matter. We need people in Congress, and we need people in the State Legislature that are willing to fight for regular people and fight for working class people.”
The American Dream is harder to achieve now than ever before, Weingarten said.
“There is a lot of anxiety, (and) not just about affordability,” she said. “People are really upset about wanting to make their lives better and not seeing a way. We need to ensure the future of Social Security, we need to fix the health care system, we need to fix the immigration system. This is not radical. This is the American dream. It’s about time we have a legislature here and in Washington that focuses on this in words and actions. You are not powerless.”
Attorney General Letitia James
New York’s strong labor movement took center stage during New York State Attorney General Letitia James’ speech, too.
“I believe deeply in the right to collective bargaining,” she said. “I will continue fighting against those seeking to undermine unions and weaken worker protections.”
James said factions such as the Freedom Foundation are attacking the union movement and trying to turn New York into a “right-to-work” state.
“We must stand together,” she said. “I will continue to fight to ensure New York remains a union town because labor is the key. Labor is a tool to address poverty and income disparity. Unions have been at the forefront of just about every big struggle.”
She said this year’s Convention theme, Rooted in Solidarity, Rising in Strength, is PEF’s power.
“I hope you carry that spirit back to your workplaces and to your community,” she said. “When PEF speaks with one voice, Albany listens.”
U.S. Rep. Tim Kennedy
U.S. Rep. Tim Kennedy expressed gratitude and solidarity in his address to the delegates.
“You keep our state running, you deliver our services, protect our communities, and make sure government works for the people,” he said. “Congratulations on ratifying a new five-year contract with raises, benefits, and workplace gains that reflect what workers can accomplish when they stand together and demand a fair deal.”
Kennedy said people who dedicate their careers to helping others should be able to build a stable future for themselves.
“No one should have to choose between earning a paycheck and going home safely at the end of the day,” he said. “No workers should have to fight year after year for the basic protections and resources they need. At the end of the day, it comes down to a simple principle: People who do work in New York deserve a fair share of the opportunities and prosperity that you helped create.”
SEIU President April Verrett
PEF’s contract wins couldn’t come at a more important time, said SEIU President April Verrett in a recorded message played for delegates.
“Working people are being squeezed from every single direction,” she said. “The rent is just too damn high. Groceries simply cost too much. Health care and childcare are putting families in impossible situations.”
She said people are left wondering whether they’ll ever get ahead.
“Work should provide more than a paycheck,” Verrett said. “It should provide hope, and it should provide a future. And while families are struggling to make ends meet, we’re seeing attacks on the very institutions and protections that working people have fought for and depend on.”
Embracing this year’s Convention theme, Verrett said strength has always come from a union’s willingness to stand together.
“We’re fighting for three pretty simple things. Money. Power. Respect,” she said. “Money to build a secure future. Power over the decisions that shape our work and our lives. And respect. Respect for the essential contributions working people make every single day. Your contract victory is proof that those aren’t just words, they’re things we can win. Celebrate what you’ve accomplished. Take pride in the power that you’ve built.”
WNYALF President Denise Abbott
Denise Abbott, president of the Western New York Area Labor Federation, shared with delegates the deep union roots of the area – from the petroleum industry to the first union drive at Starbucks to the home of the only union dues-paying NFL team, the Buffalo Bills.
“We are a union town, and solidarity runs in our blood,” she said. “I hope you leave here with an extra dose of strength and unity in you.”