Monroe/Lenawee AFL-CIO Central Labor Council announces new board members
On Jan. 9, the Monroe/Lenawee Counties AFL-CIO Central Labor Council held its biennial elections for executive board members.
Jason Matthews was reelected president. Matthews is a 21-year member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 88. He lives in Monroe County with his wife, Greta, and four children.
He is past chair of the Monroe/Lenawee County AFL-CIO Central Labor Council Labor Day Parade and Barbecue Festival; visionary/chair/organizer of Cultivate Community.
Joining Matthews on the executive board are: executive vice president Mike Hayter of Laborers’ International Union of North America; first vice president Mike Jewell of United Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 671; financial secretary Josh Rhoden of United Auto Workers Local 723; recording secretary Jerry Young of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 876, and sergeant at arms Bill Box of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 8.
Also elected were trustees Vinnie Fenech of United Association of Plumbers & Pipefitters Local 671, Devan McDaniels of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 876, Daryll Yarger of International Association of Fire Fighters Local 326, and board members at large Kenny McCarthy of International Brotherhood of Boilermakers Local 85, Abigale Baum of Utility Workers Union of America Local 223 and Denise Brooks of Office and Professional Employees International Union Local 494.
The American Federation of Labor (AFL) was one of the first federations of labor unions and was founded by Samuel Gompers. The Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) was organized by John L. Lewis, and it split from the AFL in 1935 because of differences on organizing and political action. The CIO was a federation of unions that organized workers in the growing industrial work place. With a merger back together in 1955, the AFL-CIO unified the American labor movement and the new entity was known as the American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations or AFL-CIO.
It took four years of negotiating to work out an agreement locally in Monroe. On February 9, 1959, a unified voice for labor was born when the Monroe AFL Labor Council and the Monroe CIO Industrial Union merged. The Monroe/Lenawee County AFL-CIO Central Labor Council was chartered and, with this, came a new beginning for labor leaders to fight together for working families in the Monroe/Lenawee County area. A collective voice was established to speak for all affiliated unions.
This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: Monroe/Lenawee AFL-CIO announces new board members
