Chicago Board of Directors

Mark T. Gaffney

President
Michigan State AFL-CIO
Lansing, Michigan

Michigan State AFL-CIO President Mark T. Gaffney represents more than 600,000 Michigan union members as president of the state federation.

Mr. Gaffney was born October 18, 1955 in Jackson. His first introduction to organized labor came in 1975 when he worked on car ferries crossing Lake Michigan between Ludington and Wisconsin. From 1977 to 1981 he worked on Great Lakes freighters and was a member of two unions, the National Maritime Union and the United Steelworkers of America.

When he could, Mr. Gaffney took classes at Michigan State University, majoring in philosophy with a minor in economics. He received his B.A. in philosophy in 1982. In 1984, he received a master's degree from MSU in labor relations.

After replying to a posting on a bulletin board in MSU's School of Labor and Industrial Relations office, Mr. Gaffney went to work in 1984 for Teamsters Local 486 in the Saginaw area, which covers 22 Michigan counties. As an organizer and business agent for Local 486, he negotiated over 100 collective bargaining agreements in both the public and private sectors.

In 1989, Mr. Gaffney went to work for Teamsters Joint Council No. 43 in Detroit, which represents nearly 80,000 members and retirees in 22 local unions throughout Michigan. He served as the joint council's legislative and community affairs director, as well as research director. His responsibilities included legislative analysis and reporting, political action, lobbying, community services and public relations.

President Gaffney was first elected to head up the Michigan AFL-CIO in 1999, and re-elected in 2002. He is the fifth to serve in the State Federation's 42-year history.

Mr. Gaffney currently serves on the Boards of Directors of Michigan Association of United Ways, Michigan Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Economic Alliance for Michigan, and the Michigan Association of Labor/Management Committees.