Three Executive Officers and a twenty-nine person Executive Board govern the Greater Boston Labor Council. The Executive-Board’s role is to discuss and debate public policy and to adopt or reject positions on issues that come before the Greater Boston Labor Council. The Board also has oversight of the GBLC’s finances. The twenty-nine-member board includes representatives from a wide cross section of the Greater Boston Labor Movement. The GBLC also has three elected auditors whose role is to review the council’s annual audit, which is performed by a certified public accountant.
The three elected officers are Executive Secretary-Treasurer, President and Vice-President. The Executive Secretary-Treasurer serves as the principal officer of the GBLC. The duties include spearheading support and to serve as the spokesperson for issues and positions adopted by the AFL-CIO and the GBLC Executive-Board and to organize the Counci'ls monthly meetings and events. The GBLC also has one hired staff position, the Council Organizer.
Rich Rogers, the Executive Secretary-Treasurer is a long-time member of UFCW Local 1459 and a member of Painters Local 391. Secretary-Treasurer Rogers was elected in December of 2007 to a second four-year term. Prior to his election, Rogers served on the staff of the Massachusetts AFL-CIO for twenty-one years including twelve years as the state federation's political director. He currently serves as Chairman of Community Labor United, a dynamic coalition of major Boston area unions and community organizations working together on a broad economic justice agenda.
The President of the GBLC serves as presiding officer at the GBLC meetings and is the appointing authority for all committees established by the GBLC. Louis Mandarini, the Business Manger of Laborers Local 22, was re-elected to a third full four-year term to the GBLC Presidency in December 2009. President Mandarini holds a number of other important labor positions including Secretary-Treasurer of the Massachusetts Building Trades Council and Secretary-Treasurer of the Mass. AFL - CIO, and serves on the Executive Board of the Massachusetts Laborers District Council.
The Vice-President’s post is held by Patricia Armstrong, the Political Director for the Boston Teachers Union. Vice President Armstrong has been a long-time activist and leader in the Massachusetts Democratic Party as well as serves as the President for the Mass Alliance, a coalition of labor unions and community groups that works to elect progressives to the State Legislature.
The Council Organizer is Jonah Peppiatt. A graduate of Tufts University, Jonah joined the Council as a Jewish Organizing Initiative Fellow in September 2008. Prior to working at the GBLC, Jonah focused mostly on nonprofit work, and in 2007 founded National Collegiate Volunteers, where he is now president of the Board. Jonah's ties to labor come from his grandfather, who was an APWU member for over 30 years, and his stepfather, who was an activist in the 1960s and 70s and took part in a successful UFT unionization drive New York City last year.
Executive Board
Donna Blythe-Shaw, USW
Bruce T. Boccardy, SEIU Local 888
Mike Calder, IBEW Local 103
Al Capozzi, Machinists Local 100
James Coyle, Boston Building Trades Council
Larry Curran, Boston Firefighters' Local 718
Bob Dempsey, APWU Local 100
Jack Donegan, NAGE/SEIU 5000
Enid Eckstein, 1199SEIU
Paul English, IBEW Local 2222
Tom Flynn, New England Reg. Council of Carpenters
Mark Govoni, UFCW Local 1445
Mike Lafferty, Painters DC35
John Lee, Boston Carmen's Union
Stephen Lewis, SEIU Local 509
Ed McDonald, IBEW Local 1505
Mary Mahoney, OPEIU Local 6
Susan Moir, GALLAN
Dick Monks, Operating Engineers' Local 877
Dan Moriarty, AFSCME Local 944
Sean O'Brien, Teamsters Local 25
Warren Pepicelli, UNITE/HERE NE Joint Board
Jim Pinkham, UW Local 369
Peter Rider, SEIU Local 615
Neil Ryan, Mail Handlers' Local 301
Jen Springer, AFSCME Council 93
Peter Stracuzzi, Plasterers and Cement Masons Local 534
Bill Young, Pipefitters Local 537
Auditors
Jim Foley, Machinists DC15
Mary Glynn, BTU 66
Frank Rago, ILA