Message From The Administrator
Sisters and Brothers,
Before I introduce myself, I would like to extend my deepest thanks and well wishes to Mike Sukal who devoted every day of the last 13 months to his role as Administrator of AFSCME Council 13. I wish Mike the best in his retirement from AFSCME, and I am excited to take on this role with Maximus Weikel as Deputy Administrator.
As I step into the role of Administrator, I am grateful for the solid foundation that Mike is leaving behind. Under his leadership, this union has grown and moved in a positive direction, ensuring a better future for generations of AFSCME members to come. Council 13 was restructured to be more efficient in terms of both cost and delivery of service to members; a Membership Chairperson program is underway and is spurring growth in our local unions; and everything from servicing to organizing to communications are more member-focused and member-driven than ever before. I look forward to building on the immense progress that has been made.
I am the Eastern Region Director of AFSCME International and have served as Administrator in several other councils and local unions. I became a police officer and a member of AFSCME in 1988. I have seen up close the union difference and the power workers can have when we join together.
With my experience, the continued dedication of Council 13’s staff, and – most of all – the collective power of Council 13’s membership, I am confident that we can continue to grow this union and reach even greater heights.
I am optimistic about the future but also highly aware of the challenges that our union and our movement face. With private equity firms buying up healthcare facilities and other once-public services, correctional and public safety institutions being proposed for closure, anti-union special interest groups attacking us in the press and through the mail, and hostile forces in the federal government attempting to dismantle public employment as we know it, we have our work cut out for us.
But AFSCME members never back down from a fight, and that hasn’t changed. We are ready to GO – Get Organized – for better contracts, stronger public services, and our very freedom to be in a union. We are going to stay AFSCME Strong here in Pennsylvania. I look forward to working with you and hope to see you soon as we move forward together as one.