McElroy elected to AFL-CIO executive council

AFT secretary-treasurer Edward J. McElroy was elected to the AFL-CIO's 54-member executive council in December during the labor council's 24th biennial convention in Las Vegas. In addition to McElroy's election, the nearly 1,000 convention delegates representing 13 million working men and women reelected 49 vice presidents, including AFT president Sandra Feldman.

In November, McElroy was elected chairman of the board of the AFL-CIO's Department for Professional Employees.

McElroy's election to the AFL-CIO executive council is an important recognition of his role as a labor leader. He was elected secretary-treasurer of the AFT in 1992. He previously served as an AFT vice president; as president of the Rhode Island Federation of Teachers; and as president of the Rhode Island AFL-CIO. In 1999, McElroy was elected to serve on the United Way board of governors. He also serves on the boards of the Union Label Service Trades Department and the Food and Allied Service Trades Department of the AFL-CIO.
 

'Target 5,000' is AFL-CIO's 2002 election plan

Delegates to the AFL-CIO's convention passed a resolution on political action, stressing, among other things, increasing the number of union voters, political education and member mobilization. The resolution also calls for the establishment of a special political action committee (PAC) "dedicated to providing resources to union members running for state and local offices."

The new PAC will be a useful tool for union members seeking public office in 2002 under the labor council's "Target 5,000" program, which aims to elect 5,000 union members to public office in 2002.

During the 2000 election cycle, the AFL-CIO's 2,000 in 2000 program surpassed its goal--more than 2,500 union members were holding elective office by 2000. Among the AFT members elected to office during that time: freshman congressional representatives Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and Mike Honda (D-Calif.).

In related news, convention delegates adopted the resolution "Building a Larger, Stronger Movement of America's Workers," which calls on members of Congress and state and local legislative bodies to "reform our outdated labor laws so workers can freely choose to join and form unions." Such action would support worker efforts to organize, AFL-CIO president John Sweeney says. More details on the AFL-CIO convention are posted at www.aflcio.org/convention01.