John Patrick to Retire as President of the Texas AFL-CIO

  Texas AFL-CIO President John Patrick announced today he plans to retire as President of the Texas AFL-CIO at the end of September.

  Patrick cited chronic back problems as contributing to his decision to leave office a little more than halfway through his four-year elected term.

  “The working people of Texas have provided me the greatest honor of my life in trusting me to represent them in the halls of the Texas Capitol, in Congress and throughout our great state,” Patrick said. “I have done everything in my power to reward that trust. I am 100 percent confident that I will be leaving the state labor federation in outstanding hands and as a meaningful force for a better Texas.”

  “For me, it is time to pass the baton. I want to thank our officers and staff, our membership and our many allies for all they have done to promote a better Texas for all working people.”

  Texas AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Rick Levy said, “John has given so much to the labor movement in Texas, first with the United Steelworkers and, for some three decades, as an officer of the Texas AFL-CIO.  He leaves a legacy of integrity, solidarity and generosity of spirit in his service to our movement. John has overseen the building of labor’s capacity to make a difference. He has rededicated the state labor federation to a broad view of its historic and solemn obligation to advocate for every last working person in Texas. All of us have taken that to heart and will continue to be inspired by John’s vision.”

  The Texas AFL-CIO Executive Board will vote on a successor to serve the remainder of Patrick’s term when it meets in September.

  A biography of John Patrick may be found at this link: https://unionhall.aflcio.org/texas-afl-cio/about-us/john-patrick

  The Texas AFL-CIO is a state labor federation that consists of 237,000 affiliated union members who advocate for working families in Texas.

-30-

Opeiu298/afl-cio