Q&A
Mastro's stance on labor issues as potential Corporation Counsel
6:57:44
·
169 sec
Council Member De La Rosa questions Randy Mastro about his potential stance on labor issues if appointed as Corporation Counsel. Mastro defends his pro-union record and explains the difference between representing private clients and serving as Corporation Counsel.
- De La Rosa asks if Mastro would maintain anti-labor views as Corporation Counsel
- Mastro emphasizes his pro-union stance and endorsements from labor organizations
- Discussion on the role of Corporation Counsel in representing the City Council's interests
- Mastro explains the distinction between advocating for private clients and serving as Corporation Counsel
Carmen De La Rosa
6:57:44
As Corporation Council, would you maintain the same anti labor views or a position that the city council has no oversight role?
6:57:52
Should a similar labor issue arise?
Randy Mastro
6:57:54
I don't have anti labor views.
6:57:57
I'm endorsed by the UFT, the AFT, the
Carmen De La Rosa
6:58:00
We know the endorsement list.
Randy Mastro
6:58:02
Do we
Carmen De La Rosa
6:58:02
have it?
Randy Mastro
6:58:03
I many unions have endorsed me, and I had great working relationships with the unions, including DC 37 when I was deputy mayor.
6:58:12
So I am pro union.
6:58:14
I've always been pro union.
6:58:15
And in fact, I did groundbreaking litigation to make sure that members had direct rank and file voting over top union offices, setting precedence at federal law.
Carmen De La Rosa
6:58:26
As corporation council, would you maintain that the council has no oversight role in similar labor issues to be?
Randy Mastro
6:58:35
There's not one size fits all, and I'm there simply to advise and represent the council.
6:58:41
If you decide to have a hearing and I think you have a principal position for doing it, I'm going to defend your position.
6:58:47
In that instance, I'm representing a private client and a private labor dispute that's before the NLRP.
6:58:53
So I question on behalf of a private client whether there should have been a hearing.
6:58:59
But there's no one size fits all, and when I'm corp counsel, I'm representing you.
6:59:05
You're my client.
6:59:06
Cablevision was my client there.
6:59:08
You're my client.
6:59:09
And if you have a principal position, of course, I'm going to defend you to the guilt.
Carmen De La Rosa
6:59:15
While I understand that and while I appreciate your passion for defending your clients, you are one person, you are not two people.
6:59:22
You have choice in the matter of who you choose to defend and how you come before a body to defend that client.
6:59:28
And at that time, you came before this body, and frankly, you dismissed the council's role as an independent checks and balance.
6:59:37
As someone as a as a body who did have a role in that process, you completely dismissed the council's role in oversight.
6:59:44
Okay.
6:59:45
I'm going to move on.
Randy Mastro
6:59:46
Okay.
6:59:46
But council member, yeah, there seems to be some disconnect about the role of the lawyer in private practice.
6:59:53
And maybe when we finally get to the dozens of people who came here to share their testimony with you, many of whom have
UNKNOWN
7:00:00
less So
Pierina Ana Sanchez
7:00:00
then let's not
Carmen De La Rosa
7:00:01
hold them up.
7:00:01
Let's not
Randy Mastro
7:00:02
explain they will explain to you that you you take your clients' problems as you find them.
7:00:07
And you zealously and ethically advocate for them as long as you have a principled basis for what you're advocating.
7:00:15
That doesn't mean that they're your core values or you can't represent another client or that as corporation counsel where your client is this body, you wouldn't just as zealously and ethically represent the principal positions of this body.
7:00:29
I will do that, and I have a proven track record of doing it.