New Leader at Council 13

HARRISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA

Edward J. Keller retired on Jan. 31 after 21 years as executive director of Pennsylvania Council 13 — and 35 years of AFSCME activism. He has been succeeded by former District Council 88 Director David R. Fillman. Both are Intern-ational vice presidents.

Fillman began his AFSCME career as a mechanic for Pennsylvania's Department of Transportation. He served as recording secretary and then president of Local 2159 before joining District Council 88 as a staff rep. He had been 88's director since 1993.

In 1967, Keller was part of the Pennsyl-vania Organizing Committee headed by Gerald W. McEntee. Working out of Philadelphia, they won public employee collective-bargaining rights with the passage of Act 195. Today Council 13 represents 75,000 state and local public employees — making it the Common-wealth's largest public employee union.

Under Keller's leadership, Council 13 won unprecedented wage and benefit advantages — including major pension increases — for public workers across the state. In recent years, the council has also developed a successful track record as a politically powerful and influential union. "I will continue to be an advocate for public employees and AFSCME," says Keller, who will fill out his term on the International executive board.