UAW Region 9A Director Brandon Mancilla Named to New York City Rent Guidelines Board

Today, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced he is naming United Auto Workers (UAW) Region 9A Director Brandon Mancilla to the New York City Rent Guidelines Board as a public member.

“Thank you, Mayor Mamdani, for the honor of appointing me to the Rent Guidelines Board,” said Mancilla. “In 1969, the creators of the Rent Guidelines Board understood that the labor movement played an essential role in building a New York City where all working people can live and thrive. Two of the original board appointees, Ed Cleary and Thomas Shortman, came out of labor leadership. In the 56 years since, we have only had one other representative on the board from labor leadership. Today, working people are enduring a historic cost of living crisis that makes the mission of the Rent Guidelines Board more important than ever. I will bring to the board my experience as a union rep delivering results for working people, combined with the knowledge gained representing thousands of our UAW members involved in housing law and advocacy.”

In December 2022, Brandon Mancilla became the first democratically elected UAW Region 9A Director after the historic One Member One Vote campaign. He was born into a working-class Guatemalan immigrant family in Jamaica, Queens, and currently lives in Astoria. Prior to being elected Regional Director, Mancilla served as the first president of UAW Local 5118 and later worked as an organizer for the Association of Legal Advocates & Attorneys-UAW Local 2325 in New York City.

Under Mancilla’s leadership, UAW Region 9A has grown to represent over 50,000 workers across New York, New England, and Puerto Rico with over 20,000 workers in New York City. UAW members in Region 9A have won record contracts, organized thousands of new workers into the UAW, and won major gains for the working class. 

In New York City, UAW Region 9A's membership includes workers in many industries and sectors, including legal services attorneys, staff and advocates, who represent the most vulnerable New Yorkers in housing court. The New York City Rent Guidelines Board is an independent agency, and public members serve as volunteers.

In the News

• Gothamist: Mamdani names new Rent Guidelines Board majority (Feb. 18)