Queens District Attorney Melida Katz’s coalition of organized labor support continues to grow with the endorsements of 32BJ SEIU and the NY/NJ Hotel and Gaming Trades Council announced on Feb. 8.
With more than 175,000 members, 32BJ is the largest union of property service workers in the country, while the HTC represents 40,000 non-managerial hospitality and gaming employees.
After announcing the new endorsements, Katz sent an email to her supporters accusing her Democratic challenger George Grasso of going on the attack, “not just against me, but against the New York State Court Officers Association,” she wrote.
Grasso, who retired as the administrative judge of the Queens Supreme Court in August to run against Katz in the June 27 Democratic primary, called on her to rescind her endorsement from the New York State Court Officers Association (NYSCOA) and repudiate its president Dennis Quirk.
“Attacking the men and women who protect and serve our courthouses is an interesting tactic for a candidate for district attorney. And it’s shameful,” Katz wrote. “This attack is a desperate attempt at relevance from a candidate backed by staunch Trump and Giuliani supporters who can’t make positive news about his candidacy.”
Grasso was incredulous about the framing of Katz’s response.
“Her hypocrisy is morphing into outright deceit by accusing me of attacking court officers,” Grasso told QNS. “I was very clear and said I have the highest respect for the rank and file of the New York State Court Officers Association. The attack she leveled against me in this email is a total distortion. I called on her to repudiate their president Dennis Quirk who engaged in rogue and misogynistic behavior against then-Chief Judge Janet DiFiore.”
Grasso said that Quirk endangered DiFiore and her family by releasing personal information about her, including her home address, to social media following a dispute over COVID-19 vaccine mandates.
The leak occurred approximately one year after DiFiore’s name and photo were found in possession of an anti-feminist gunman, who opened fire into the New Jersey home of U.S. District Judge Esther Salas, killing her son and wounding her husband in July 2020. When challenged about leaking DiFiore’s personal information, Grasso said Quirk responded with a misogynistic slur directed at the chief judge.
“When questioned about it, he referred to her using the B-word,” Grasso said. “District Attorney Katz needs to remember that she is the chief law enforcement officer of Queens. She needs to set an example that these types of actions and sexist language will not be tolerated from anyone for any purpose. Quirk plays a leading role with respect to NYSCOA endorsement decisions. Those who seek or accept such an endorsement must consider the source.”
Despite all this, Katz said her endorsement from the members of 32BJ and the Hotel and Gaming Trades Council keep New York City thriving and reminds her of the honor of serving as district attorney.
“The members of these great unions and their families deserve effective and bold leadership from the district attorney’s office — leadership that recognizes that justice and safety are not mutually exclusive. That’s the mentality I bring to work every day: to keep them safe and keep the courtroom fair,” Katz said.
In the last couple of weeks, Katz was endorsed by the New York City Building and Construction Trades Council, 1199SEIU, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 3, Enterprise Association of Steamfitters Local 638, International Brotherhood of Workers Local 3, International Union of Operating Engineers, Locals 14, 15, 30, 94, 211, 891, NYC Coalition and the New York State Court Officers Association.
“District Attorney Melinda Katz has provided equitable justice in Queens, the likes of which this borough desperately needed,” said 32BJ SEIU President Manny Pastreich. “Our union is proud to endorse Melinda Katz for re-election and ready to hit the streets this cycle to spread her message of bold justice.”
Several union leaders noted that after she took office in 2020, Katz created the borough’s first Housing and Worker Protection Bureau, which returns stolen wages to employees and investigates unsafe workplaces.
“We are proud to endorse District Attorney Melinda Katz, a true voice for the residents of Queens and New York City. Our members want to see bold policies from the district attorney’s office that make them safer and bring fairness to our criminal justice system — and Melinda Katz is delivering,” said Rich Moroko, president of the Hotel and Gaming Trades Council. “In her first term, DA Katz has been a positive force in Queens — upholding the rights of our members and keeping them safe. We are looking forward to helping her achieve another term this November.”
