Transit union endorses Cuomo's bid for mayor, rebukes Mamdani's free bus proposal

Former Governor Andrew Cuomo’s campaign to become the next mayor of New York City recieved a boost on Saturday, when a union representing more than 20,000 local transit workers endorsed his candidacy at an event on Staten Island.

Daniel Cassella, president of the ATU Local 726 representing Staten Island bus operators and maintenance workers, touted the former governors’ “historic investments in buses and public transit,” while rebuking his opponent, Democratic party nominee Zohran Mamdani, saying his proposal to eliminate fares on city buses will cost workers their jobs.

“Free fares undercut the very jobs of my members who operate and maintain our buses,” Cassella said. “A free bus proposal hurts Staten Island and hurts New York City. As we have learned in places like Kansas City, Austin, Tampa, Raleigh, and Tucson, free bus programs just don’t work.

“It’s a death spiral for safe quality public transportation,” he said, adding that free buses “create dangerous and unpleasant conditions for both workers and passengers.”


https://www.nydailynews.com/2025/09/27/transit-union-endorses-cuomos-bid-for-mayor-rebukes-mamdanis-free-bus-proposal/