andrew Dinkelaker
general secretary-treasurer
“When faced with tremendous challenges our Union prevails because of a strong foundation and our legacy of aggressive struggle”
Andrew’s Journey in UE
14 years as ue general secretary-treasurer
In 2011 I was honored to be elected as UE General Secretary Treasurer (GST). When I started the UE had been running consistent and unsustainable deficits for some time that were made drastically worse by growing pension liabilities due to changes in federal law. I took on the task by following the legacy of running a tight ship, often referring everyone to the extremely useful booklet on UE’s philosophy on finances appropriately titled “Open Books, Tight Fists” which was created under the leadership of retired GST Amy Newell.
6 years BUILDING UE EASTERN REGION
almost 10 years On UE Staff
joined UE in 1994 as a member
In 2005 I was elected to be District 6 president and in 2006 was elected the first president of the then newly formed Eastern Region. This was at a time when for financial reasons the region was a consolidation of Districts 1, 6 and 7. The leadership challenges were in establishing a new common identity as a region, building membership participation, and creating cohesive leadership among groups that were used to working on a much smaller geographic scale. The members of the new Eastern Region really rose to the challenge. We had an atmosphere of encouraging members to run for office and having contested elections.
I really respected the work Kim and others were doing in the field so I took the leap and in 1997 I interviewed with then Director of Organization Bob Kingsley and was offered to work for UE. I was assigned to Northeast Ohio, and later Greater Boston followed by Northwestern PA. Throughout those years I was often sent to organizing and affiliation campaigns throughout the United States. Along the way, our creed “the members run this union” has always stayed with me in all the locals I had the privilege to organize and service
My journey in UE began in 1994 when I was hired as an employment counselor at a private non-profit in Vermont during the middle of a UE organizing campaign that was being supported by then Field Organizer Kim Lawson. Our department nominated me to represent them on the bargaining committee. I learned first hand from Kim about the principles of UE as we put them into practice at the bargaining table. As a UE member I was proud to serve as a Recording Secretary for the local. After a couple of years in my job I was considering moving on to something new and it was Kim who asked if I would be interested in working for UE as a field organizer.
Andrew as General Secretary-TREASURER
Over the past several years, UE has undergone a tremendous change. In my role as General Secretary-Treasurer since 2011, I had to face the mounting challenges of a shrinking membership base, one that not only strained our resources, but threatened our very survival as an organization.
For years we had to make hard decisions, not only as leaders but as members, and it was those strategies that not only allowed us to survive, but to thrive and grow. I’m excited now that we have a strong and vibrant membership base, to be able to go back and restore some of the tasks that inevitably suffered during that time, and I look forward to all of the exciting ways we can move forward.
The role of a General Secretary-Treasurer is deeply rooted with the responsibility for the oversight of the Union’s finances and record-keeping. We are currently in the process of moving over to an entirely new accounting structure. This will allow us to be up to date on reconciliation so as to produce monthly reports to locals on the national finances per the national constitution. This will expedite the flow of information to local officers and staff so we can timely flag issues as they arise – like per capita or Beck calculations.
The past several months we have started to lay a foundation for a more robust and member centered online platform. This will give local leaders the ability to access administrative details electronically and quickly, including the ability to pay per capita online through a portal system.
Continuing in my role as Secretary-Treasurer, I want to see our National Union provide more focused support around communication, legal needs, strategic research and global planning. I want to continue the process of updating training and resources for financial officers and trustees, improve upon the membership enforcement process, and provide more information around the audit procedure as well as any other administrative and compliance questions locals may face.
With our growth, we’ve been able to hire several support staff and free up others in the national office to be specifically dedicated to some of these tasks, and I’ve spent the last several months on orientation, training and working with them. As they become more comfortable in these roles, expect to see some of these support pieces introduced. Training materials and resources for local Financial Officers will be a key piece to ensuring they have the support they need to be successful. I’m looking forward to being able to focus more time educating our members in these areas through my current role.
As we look to the future of our work in the labor movement, I’m excited and proud of not only who we are, but where we’ve come from and where we are going. I’d be honored to continue on this journey with you.
andrew in the news
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UE NEWS
General Executive Board Meets, Approves New Budget
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JACOBIN
The United Electrical Workers Are Calling for a Cease-Fire in Gaza (an interview with Andrew Dinkelaker)
The United Electrical Workers is joining other major US unions like the UAW in demanding a cease-fire in Israel’s war on Gaza. We spoke with a top officer about UE’s call for a cease-fire and solidarity with Palestine.
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LABOR NOTES
U.S. Unions Call for Ceasefire in Gaza
“We certainly don’t support any killing, whether it’s in the form of bombs, guns, starving people through blockades, or through apartheid, from any side,” UE Secretary-Treasurer Andrew Dinkelaker told In These Times. “U.S. military aid going in is pouring gasoline onto a fire. It encourages that there be military solutions, and military solutions will get more people killed.”
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in these times
We Need the Labor Movement To Organize Worker Fightback in the Face of the COVID-19 Crisis (by Carl Rosen, Andrew Dinkelaker, and Gene Elk)
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In These Times
After Gaza Cease-fire, the Labor Movement Isn’t Done Fighting for Palestinian Freedom
“Networks of U.S. union organizers are calling for an end to a system of apartheid in Israel and cessation of all armed conflict in the region.”
