ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (PAI)Paul Shearon, who made his name as organizing director and creator of the strategy of a successful engineers 40-day strike at Boeing in 2000, succeeded Greg Junemann as president of their parent union, the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers. Junemann retired after 15 years in the top job.
Delegates to the union convention in Atlantic City elected Shearon, the unions Secretary-Treasurer, to the top job and Legislative Director Matthew Biggs to succeed him.
Before becoming Secretary-Treasurer, Shearon was organizing director for IFPTEs largest local, the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace. He ran successful organizing drives in Seattle and in Wichita, Kansas, which boosted its numbers to 5,000 and engineered SPEEAs 40-day strike over wages, benefits and outsourcing.
The strikers became noted for carrying signs reading No nerds, no birds.
These are difficult times for workers, including the professionals we represent in the private and public sector, Shearon told the delegates, who represented 80,000 members.
The combination of organizing and legislative experience that Matt and I bring to the table will help our members push back against the unfair attacks on workers and enable our members and their local unions to develop new strategies to improve their workplaces and better their lives. Military engineers are among IFPTEs federal government members.
Source: PAI