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Secretary-Treasurer Lee A. Saunders

Lee A. Saunders

Lee A. Saunders is the Secretary-Treasurer of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, AFL-CIO, which represents 1.6 million workers. He was elected at the union’s 39th International Convention in July 2010.

Prior to his election, Saunders served as Executive Assistant to AFSCME Pres. Gerald McEntee and has been responsible for managing what is acknowledged to be the most effective political and legislative operations in the history of the American labor movement. AFSCME’s clout in fundraising and member mobilization, and its lobbying expertise are unmatched in the ranks of the AFL-CIO and beyond.

Building on ideas generated by local unions, Saunders has championed AFSCME’s Next Wave initiative to encourage and develop the next generation of union leadership. He has also developed and supported programs that foster diversity and promote increased member participation within the union.

Saunders has served as administrator of a number of AFSCME councils and large local unions across the country. For nearly four years, he served as administrator of AFSCME District Council 37, New York City’s largest public employee union, representing 125,000 members. In that capacity, he was successful in restoring the fiscal health, integrity and good name of the council and its 56 affiliated local unions.

Saunders serves as a vice president of the AFL-CIO Executive Council, which guides the daily work of the labor federation. He is an at-large member of the Democratic National Committee and a member of the Executive Committee of the Congressional Black Caucus Institute’s 21st Century Committee. In addition, Saunders serves on the board of the Progressive States Network, which supports progressive state legislators with research, policy, communication and strategic resources.

Saunders grew up in a union household in Cleveland, Ohio. His father was a bus driver and a member of the Amalgamated Transit Union. After raising two sons, his mother returned to college and became a community college professor and a member of the American Association of University Professors.

He received a Master of Arts degree from Ohio State University in 1974, a year after earning his Bachelor of Arts degree from Ohio State University. In 2002, the College of New Rochelle awarded him an honorary doctorate degree in Humane Letters.

Lee and his wife Lynne live in Washington, DC, and have two sons, Lee, Jr. and Ryan.

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