Worker Institute Fellow Reardon Nominated for NYS Labor Commissioner

Reardon is an actor, labor leader and labor educator based in New York City. In 2003, Reardon became the president of the New York local of American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA).
 
Reardon graduated from the NYS AFL-CIO/Cornell Union Leadership Institute in 2005.  Reardon was unanimously elected national president of  AFTRA in 2007 and went on to serve three terms in office, while also serving as AFL-CIO vice president from 2009-2013.

In 2012, Reardon led AFTRA through its historic merger with the Screen Actors Guild, serving as co-president of the newly formed SAG-AFTRA, a 165,000-member entertainment industry union, until August 2013.
 
Reardon became a Worker Institute Fellow in May and, until her appointment as commissioner, had been involved in the  development of the Worker Institute project New Formations in the Arts and Entertainment Industry. The project focuses on the challenges and changes faced by unions, creative professionals and new workers in the live performance, film, music, and radio/television industries in New York City.
 
Prior to her appointment, Reardon served as a trustee for the AFTRA Health and Retirement Fund, the Actors Fund of America and was formerly a delegate to the New York City Labor Council.
 
Since 2014, Reardon has consulted  with the AFL-CIO on the development and implementation of a nationwide economics curriculum for union members, "Commonsense Economics."  She has also taught courses on union leadership and contemporary labor issues in the Cornell/CUNY Certificate in Labor Relations Program.
 
Cuomo announced her nomination on Sept. 24.  She is serving as acting commissioner until her confirmation is taken up by the New York State Senate in January.