ALBANY — The uncertainty of who will be on the Working Families Party line for governor this fall is causing “real tension” between the party and the unions affiliated with it, a source with knowledge of the union’s concerns told The Post.
The unions — who plan to endorse Gov. Cuomo individually — are worried that if the party doesn’t follow their lead they may not garner the 50,000 necessary votes to keep the line in future elections. “A bunch of the biggest affiliates (unions) going in a different direction than the party could lead to bad blood” said the source.
A handful of strong labor unions are the main backers of the WFP.
High ranking members of the party have expressed their displeasure for Cuomo saying he is not progressive enough. Some appointed committee heads, who are charged with determining which candidate goes on the ballot line, have chided Cuomo for only getting a watered down version of a taxpayer-funded public financing system.
The members were also vocal about Cuomo’s big push for tax cuts, protecting charter schools, and the tension they believed he caused with Mayor de Blasio over pre kindergarten funding.
A recent mailer from the WFP, which will not nominate a candidate until next month, showed they are doing their homework before making the announcement. The mailer was used as a poll to seek the interest level on putting Cuomo’s name on the ballot.
“This real tension is not helpful,” said a source close to the affiliate unions of the party.
In response WFP officials pointed to a recent Siena Poll that showed the smaller party would get enough votes from a candidate, other than Cuomo, to keep its line in future elections.
While the party weighs its options Gov. Cuomo is not waiting around.
Seeking smaller party endorsements, and as many voting lines as possible, a source close to Cuomo says allies of the Governor have been exploring remaking the existing Liberal Party.
The new Liberal Party would “pursue a progressive agenda on social and economic issues that is far broader than the WFP’s,” the source stated.