October 13, 2018
From State Senator Tom O’Mara’s Campaign:
The New York State Public Employees Federation (PEF) has endorsed State Senator Tom O’Mara (R,C,I-Big Flats) for re-election in New York’s 58thSenate District. PEF represents 54,000 professional, scientific, and technical employees across the state, including nurses, parole officers, road and bridge workers, and employees at local correctional facilities, youth centers, psychiatric centers and other health care facilities.
“We know that you appreciate and value the work performed by public employees in your district and around the state. You also understand the needs of working men and women and their families and support the programs and services that address these needs,” PEF President Wayne Spence wrote in a letter to O’Mara informing him of the endorsement.
O’Mara said, “I am extremely proud to have the confidence and support of this critical organization representing working men and women, and their families throughout the Southern Tier and Finger Lakes regions. I am grateful for their recognition of my commitment to the future of our workers and the long-term security of their families. Economic security for our workers and families is a fundamental responsibility and we can only meet it through an economy that is strong and growing and creating good jobs that last. That’s my top priority.”
The PEF endorsement represents the second major grassroots labor endorsement O’Mara has received in recent days. Earlier this week, O’Mara was endorsed by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees of New York State (AFSCME New York State), the state’s largest public service union representing over 400,000 members – including thousands across the Southern Tier and Finger Lakes regions comprising the 58th District O’Mara represents – from six affiliates.
The 58th Senate District O’Mara represents encompasses all of Chemung, Schuyler, Steuben and Yates counties, and a portion of Tompkins County (the city and town of Ithaca, and the towns of Enfield, Newfield and Ulysses). O’Mara was first elected to the Senate in 2010. In 2013, O’Mara spearheaded the fight against a Cuomo administration plan to eliminate inpatient services at and diminish the overall role of the Elmira Psychiatric Center (EPC) as part of a statewide Office of Mental Health (OMH) restructuring plan. The senator organized a coalition of local government, business and community leaders who worked together with EPC administrators and staff to protest the move as devastating to the quality of regional mental health, local workers and families, and the local economy overall. These efforts included support rallies, public hearings and local petition drives — all of which ultimately led to a reversal of the Cuomo plan, protected local jobs, and ensured that the EPC has remained as a cornerstone of regional mental health care for patients and families, including inpatient care.
During his six years of service in the Senate, O’Mara has become recognized as a leading voice in support of state policies to spark a revitalization of the Upstate New York economy through tax cuts, regulatory reform, mandate relief and a revitalization of the manufacturing sector. He currently serves as Chairman of the Senate Environmental Conservation Committee, in addition to serving as a member of nine other Senate committees and on the following Senate task forces: Heroin and Opioid Addiction, Lyme and Tick-borne Diseases, and Workforce Development.
