Build Political Power

Why We Should Build Political Power

Members of our Union canvassing for local elected officials.

Since 2007, our Union has been building political power in order to give our members a seat at the table and a say over state and local laws that impact the security of our jobs and affect working people in our communities.

We have achieved a long list of political victories. We have helped to elect dozens of officials who support working people in our statehouses and local governments. We’ve gone head to head with the real estate industry in New York and won. To their dismay, we’ve helped pass laws that limit the over development of hotels in certain neighborhoods. We’ve gone up against Airbnb and other homesharing sites that compete with good, union hotel jobs, increase rent, and endanger our local neighborhoods and passed restrictions that take away their ability to operate illegal hotels in our cities. And we’ve passed many laws that help working people including the fight for a $15 minimum wage, pre-K for all in New York City, the creation of over 100,000 new affordable housing units in the five boroughs, and key criminal justice reforms in New York State.

But the work will never be complete. Alone, none of us have the money or power that the real estate industry, developers, and Wall Street have to influence in politics. But together - as a Union - we can. By voting as a block, mobilizing our communities, and holding elected officials accountable once they’re in office we can get candidates that support the working class elected and get laws passed.

The key to our success has been our militant and active membership. Thousands of members have come out to knock on doors to get out the vote and have raised small donations for candidates.

Register to Vote

The most fundamental thing we can do to build our Union’s political power is vote.

New York:

  • Register to vote, change your address, or change your party affiliation online here.

New Jersey:

  • You can download a Voter Registration form here. You can also call (877) 658-6837, select your county of residence, and request that your local Board of Elections mail you a voter registration form.

Connecticut:

  • Register to vote, check your registration and look up your polling place online here.

Pennsylvania:

  • You can register to vote online here.
  • You can also register to vote by completing a voter registration form and mailing or bringing it to your county voter registration office. You can find the voter registration form, and the addresses of all county voter registration offices in the state, here.

Related News

NYC Unions Combine Forces to Elect Pro-Worker Majority to City Council in 2021

February 9, 2021 12:21 PM

This year, New Yorkers will elect the next City Council, borough presidents, and mayor. These local elected officials will be in charge of New York City’s economic recovery from COVID-19. Many of these races are competitive and it’s critical that we elect individuals who will prioritize the problems faced by New York City workers in the months and years ahead. As part of our efforts, our Union has joined forces with four other powerful local unions – SEIU 32BJ, Communications Workers of America District 1, District Council 37, and the New York State Nurses Association – to elect a slate of pro-worker and pro-union candidates. Read more...

HTC Members Get Out the Vote in Georgia

December 26, 2020 12:20 PM

Eighteen HTC members and organizers are volunteering in Georgia to get out the vote for Democratic Senate candidates, Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock. On January 5th, Georgia will hold a run-off election, which will determine which party holds power in the Senate.

In less than a month, President-Elect Biden will take over the economic recovery of our nation and begin managing the COVID-19 crisis. In order to implement many of his most ambitious plans, Biden will need the Senate’s support. In today’s political climate, this means Biden will need a Democratic majority in the Senate including both Warncok and Ossoff. Read more...

HTC Helped Get Out the Vote for Biden-Harris, Playing a Role in their Historic Victory

November 7, 2020 6:09 PM

Dozens of HTC members and organizers volunteered to get out the vote for President-elect Joe Biden, Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, and Democratic candidates for the U.S. Senate in the 2020 election. Union volunteers phone banked and canvassed for the candidates in key swing states: Arizona, Florida, Nevada, and Pennsylvania. Their efforts helped to achieve a historic victory for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris in the presidential election, and to win an important Senate seat in Arizona. 

NYC City Council passes and Mayor de Blasio signs law protecting hotel workers and guests

September 30, 2020 3:10 PM

Last Wednesday, by a vote of 45 to 4, the NYC City Council passed, and on Monday, Mayor Bill de Blasio signed, a new law which will provide vital security for New York City hotel workers, and which will also greatly enhance consumer protections for people traveling to our city.

HTC President Rich Maroko commented, “40,000 HTC members and their families applaud and thank the mayor, the speaker, and all our friends in the City Council for acting decisively to enact critical measures to prevent a small, unscrupulous segment of the hotel owners in this city from exploiting the COVID-19 disaster to profiteer. We are fortunate to have elected officials in this city and state who have acted courageously and responsibly in these terrible times.” Read more...

Using our political power to pass safety legislation in New Jersey

June 26, 2020 4:42 PM

After weeks of working with our allies in the NJ State Legislature and the Governor’s Office, our Union is proud to announce that a new law has been signed in New Jersey that will protect hotel workers’ safety and jobs in the era of COVID-19 and beyond. The law will require daily room cleans, EPA-certified cleaning agents, and minimum staffing at the front desk. This law is the very first of its kind anywhere in the country. It went into effect on Thursday, June 25, 2020.

A Step Forward in the Fight to Restrict Illegal Hotels in NYC

June 18, 2020 12:59 PM

New York City and Airbnb have settled a year-and-a-half-long legal dispute over the City’s right to require Airbnb to turn over data in order to more effectively enforce local law.

Over the last 10 years, thousands of union activists, community members, and affordable housing groups have advocated at City Hall and in Albany to pass common-sense laws that prohibit the operation of “illegal hotels” in our neighborhoods. Not only do illegal hotels compete with good union jobs, but they pose security risks and raise rents in working- and middle-class neighborhoods across New York City. Read more...