DES MOINES – Ken Sagar is retiring as the President of Iowa Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO and Charlie Wishman is taking over the job, it was announced today.
Ken first became an employee of Iowa Electric and Light and Power Company at the Sutherland Generating Station near Marshalltown, Iowa. He worked there from 1975 to 1985. Ken Sagar then was elected Business Manager/Financial Secretary of IBEW Local 204 in March of 1985 through 1997. He served as President of the Iowa Utility Workers Conference from 1987 to 1997 as well. He also was President of the Iowa State Conference of the IBEW, from 1989 to 1997. He then went on to serve as Secretary-Treasurer of the Iowa Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO from 1997 to 2008. In 2008, Ken became President of the Iowa Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO until April of 2020.
“Working with trade unionists in Iowa has been the honor of my life,” said Sagar. “I believe that working people deserve more than simply surviving, we need, to paraphrase Samuel Gompers, ‘more.’ We need to rein in the corporate excesses and create a society that values work and those who do it. A society that puts our children, our seniors and those who need our assistance before the creation of more wealth for the wealthy. We can do this and so much more, together.”
“Ken has been a tireless advocate for worker’s rights, and the Iowa Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO wishes him and his family a happy and healthy retirement,” said Charlie Wishman. “He’s been a voice for workers for decades, and he won’t stop that important work. While he may be retired from this position, anyone who has ever met him knows that Ken won’t be retiring from the fight.”
Charlie Wishman and Peter Hird were appointed by the IFL Executive Board at a special meeting on April 30, as President and Secretary/Treasurer, respectively. They both will officially take office May 1, 2020.
Charlie Wishman became Secretary/Treasurer of the Iowa Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO in January of 2012. Charlie is a member of AFT Local 716, and has also previously been a member of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAMAW) as well as the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME). He worked as the Community Liaison preforming various duties from working in the warehouse to speaking to kids about hunger for the Food Bank of Iowa from 2003-2006, and then became a union member when he became an organizer for Iowa Citizen Action Network in 2006. In 2009 he became a staff member of AFSCME Council 61 as a Communications Specialist. In the fall of 2011 Charlie came to work at the Federation as Communications Director before stepping into the role as Secretary/Treasurer in 2012. He is a graduate of the University of Northern Iowa.
“I’m excited to take on this new role and its challenges, however fighting for workers’ rights and safe workplaces have been what I’ve always done and was raised to do. The team at the IFL is second to none, the unions that make up the Iowa Federation of Labor make us proud every day, and we’re excited about what we will be able to accomplish together. The Federation was first formed in 1894, and we’re excited to continue this work that’s been going on for over 125 years.”
Peter Hird is from the Dubuque area, where he worked as a inside wireman electrician with International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Union Local 704. He received an Associate’s degree in Electronics (2002). He served on the local apprenticeship committee. He was a trustee for pension and health & Welfare, on the executive board and Vice President. From 2014 thru 2020 he was a union organizer for the local, with two successful organizing drives with Dubuque hotels.
“Serving the members of the Iowa Federation of Labor is an incredible opportunity. I look forward to building on work done by those before me and expanding Iowa’s labor movement,” said Hird.
Thanks to the Trump tax cuts along with the lowa tax cuts my employer was able to gave all the employees free health care and we aren’t union. Plus we still have benefits that are better then the public employees union that the non union workers in Iowa get to pay for.
You never tell us what company that is. Reason for that? Simple – it’s fictional.
Give me your name and number and I’ll call you when I get off work.
Windy Bunns at 0U812
Stop all the winning for the workin folk.
Fake News at it’s best.
prove him wrong..give him your info big shot
I have learned from our President that I do not have to prove anything, all I have to do is claim Fake News and it automatically makes it not true.
You are not the president and you couldn’t even kiss his feet.
Kiss his feet? Wow. I wouldn’t kiss any president’s feet. If you would, you are in a cult, not a free nation.
^^ You are correct, and neither are you, but I have learned for our President that we do not have to be accountable anymore to be Good Americans. We just have to claim “Fake News” and what ever we say or do is OK by Trump’s standards. We are only as strong, or weak, as our leaders. It’s great living by our presidents example of not having to be accountable for anything we do.
Long Live The King
It’s against my religion to be a member of a group that gives my dues to the democrats that turn around and use it for abortion.
You are a moron. In case you didn’t know, that was not a compliment.
Definition of moron
1: a very stupid person
They were acting like a bunch of morons.
You are submoronic. In case you didn’t know, that was not a compliment.
Definition of submoronic.
Adjective.
(comparative more submoronic, superlative most submoronic)
Having, or suited to, an intellect below that of a moron.
It’s against my religion to be a member of a group that gives my dues to the phony religious republicans that turn around and use it to kill the working poor before they’re old enough to collect on the Social Security republicans have stolen.
You mean the Social Security that was first raided by Democrats?
How are the Republicans killing the working poor, before they’re old enough to collect on the Social Security Democrats have stolen?
You are fairly safe, you say,” It’s against my religion to be a member of a group that gives my dues to the phony religious republicans “. Republicans don’t run unions, liberals (Democrats for you) do. So, your “dues” (extortion payment) don’t go to Republican candidates.
SS is going to taken care of by our hero Joni Breadbags!
works for me