AFSCME Council 13 Executive Director David Fillman announces retirement, to be replaced by DC 85 Director David Henderson
After 18 years of service as Executive Director of AFSCME Council 13, David Fillman has announced his retirement, effective February 1, 2021.
David Henderson, who is the current Director of AFSCME District Council 85, has been approved by Council 13’s Executive Board to fulfill the rest of Fillman’s term, which expires in 2022.
“It has been the honor of quite literally a lifetime to serve as Executive Director of this great organization. In giving my life to AFSCME, AFSCME gave me a great life,” Fillman said.
“This is not a goodbye. I will continue standing shoulder to shoulder with my Council 13 family in the ongoing fight to organize and advocate for Pennsylvania’s public employees.”
AFSCME Council 13 Executive Director David Fillman plans to retire on February 1, 2021, after serving in that role since 2002.
Fillman joined AFSCME in 1971 while working for the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. He became President of Local 2159 before joining the staff of District Council 88 in 1978. In 1993, he became Director of District Council 88, which led to him being elected Executive Director of Council 13 in 2002. Fillman will continue to serve as a Vice President of AFSCME International.
By increasing organizing capabilities, expanding member education, and embracing technological advances, Fillman has assured he is leaving his union even stronger than he found it.
He will pass the torch to David Henderson, a proven labor leader in Northwestern Pennsylvania, who is eager to keep Council 13 moving forward.
“It is difficult to overstate my gratitude for the opportunity to lead AFSCME Council 13 or my appreciation for the leadership and mentorship David Fillman has provided for all these years,” Henderson said.
“I look forward to the exciting challenges that this new role will offer, and I, along with our membership, our district councils, and our team at Council 13, will take them head-on to ensure our union continues to grow stronger.”
AFSCME District Council 85 Director David Henderson will fill out the rest of Council 13 Executive Director David Fillman’s term starting on January 1, 2021.
Henderson is a third-generation, 41-year member of AFSCME. He was a member of Local 1955, working as a corrections officer with mentally challenged inmates. He held all positions within the local, up to and including President, over the 19 years he worked there. Henderson began his career with AFSCME as a staff representative for District Council 84 in 1998, and he became the director of District Council 85, located in Franklin, Pennsylvania, in 2009.
As Council 13 enters a new era with a new leader, the union will continue pushing for strong contracts, competitive wage increases, job security, fair grievance procedures, comprehensive health insurance, a strong voice with management, worker-friendly legislation, important court rulings, and dignity in the workplace for its members.