McEntee, Head of AFSCME, to Retire

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The Prospect:

Gerald McEntee, president of the American Federation of State, County and Municiple Employees (AFSCME), the 1.4 million-member union that is the largest in the AFL-CIO, has told certain members of AFSCME's executive board that he will not run for re-election. McEntee has been heading AFSCME since 1981 and is the senior member of the AFL-CIO's executive council, as well as the longtime head of its political committee.

In an e-mail yesterday to members of his own executive council, AFSCME Indiana leader David Warrick wrote:

"Last night President McEntee called me to let me know he has decided to retire and will not be runnng for re-election. We did not discuss his reasoning for this decision but I had heard his health has not been the best lately. Under his direction our Union became not only the largest Public Sector Union in the nation, but also the largest Union in the national AFL-CIO, and I thanked him for his lifetime dedication to AFSCME and the labor movement. In our discussion he said that Secretary/Treasurer Lee Saunders will be running for International President, and he asked for our support for Lee. He does not know at this time who will be running for Secretary/Treasurer."

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Even though it is not new news, it is still scary to think the largest unions are now public sector.

[Valin]

Townhall/AP:

11/3/11

The head of the nation's largest public employee union plans to step down, setting up a heated contest to guide a political powerhouse that has been one of the biggest funders of Democratic campaigns.

Gerald McEntee, who has guided the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees since 1981, has informed senior union officials of his plan to retire, according to an email obtained by The Associated Press.

"Last night President McEntee called me to let me know he has decided to retire and will not be running for re-election," the union's Indiana leader, David Warrick told members in an e-mail on Wednesday.

AFSCME spokesman Chris Policano did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The tough-talking, gravelly voiced McEntee, 76, guided the 1.6 million-member union to spend about $90 million during the 2010 mid-term elections, making it the largest outside spender on congressional campaigns.

(Snip)