Dr. Paul-Michael Kazas Local 375 Executive gives bizarre award to Eric Adams
Today on March 26th 2025 Local 375 leadership including Local 375 President Mike Troman got together to cross the picket line and personally bestow Eric Adams and Ydanis Rodriguez (the bosses) with some bizarre awards.
https://x.com/NYCMayor/status/1904990238348550421
The award was given on behalf of Chapter 37 DOT Bridges, of which Dr. Paul-Michael Kazas is the president. Ruchit Patel, Ashok Kumar Chintakunta, Kamlesh Patel, Parag Amin, Nancy (Red) Guernsey and Anthony Wu are also in leadership roles in the chapter.
One award was a “Solidarity Award” allegedly given to Eric Adams for his “steadfast efforts in support of the union movement”. This is the same Eric Adams that has instituted a hiring freeze, attempted to strip retirees of their healthcare, and given billions away in contracts to replace good paying unionized jobs. Additionally, Eric Adams and most of his original administration’s staff have resigned or been indicted on a range of charges from bribery and wire fraud to sexual assault. His charges have now been dropped after he aligned with President Donald Trump, one of the most anti-union presidents in recent history whose administration is set to do irreparable harm to the labor movement. Why is out local leadership taking time out of the day to present this award when they are otherwise absent in the workplaces of their members?
The other award given to the Mayor is in honor of his late mother who passed in 2021. It is unclear if the gushing praise inscribed on the plaque is describing her or the Mayor. Did someone in Local 375 know her well or was this just a callous attempt to to appeal the mayor?
An award was also given to DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez but his plaque is not pictured nor mentioned yet his name is on the screen in the background of the photos.
This whole situation raises some questions. Why did Dr.Paul and Mike Troman give this award to Eric Adams at this time? Was it a de facto endorsement like some of the other recipients of the award? If so, it was wasted considering there is little chance Eric Adams is even running for Mayor. Adam’s did not even mention Dr. Paul or anything about his chapter in his tweet, he was just used for a quick photo op and tossed to the side. At least give the dumb award to the other moderate Queens candidate. If the Local is giving out bullshit awards in hopes of political favors down the line give it to someone who’s got a chance goddammit.
Online there are a few other times when Dr. Paul gave out this award, twice to local Queens politicians and then various eastern European diplomats from Poland and Estonia.
Most recently the award was presented to Stacey Pheffer Amato a moderate democrat assemblywoman from Queens. This award was presented to her on October 24th 2024 just weeks before her incredibly tight election. Thankfully she beat her republican opponent but is this considered an endorsement does that not have to be democratically decided?
The other politician that has publicly received this award was Senator Joseph P. Addabbo Jr who is a close friend of Dr. Paul and was presented it by Michael Troman in 2021. Addabbo sits on the Senate Committee for Civil Service and Pensions, and has advocated in the past for Early Retirement Incentives. So the award makes sense but is still just another friend of our executive chair.
The other publicly known recipients of the “Solidarity Award” are Consul General Kubicki (Polish diplomat) and Consul General Kunka (Estonian diplomat) as part of ceremonies with the Knights of Lithuania which appears to have little to no relation to Local 375, DC37 or the labor movement. It seems that Dr. Paul is simply a member of this Lithuanian society and uses his position as a leader in his union to further his personal endeavors. Interestingly in the same articles describing Dr. Paul giving awards to these diplomats is where it becomes clear that he is a dear friend of Senator Addabbo and the Giuliani family. Both Andrew and Rudy Giuliani worked in the Trump administration and both are vehemently anti union so it is odd to see such a warm friendship with one of DC37’s Local leadership.
