Local 117 Secretary-Treasurer John Scearcy together with Executive Secretary-Treasurer of the MLKCLC Nicole Grant

At the recent delegates meeting of the Martin Luther King County Labor Council, regular business was suspended for a special event to honor those Unions and their leadership for exceptional achievements on behalf of working people.

Over 150 organizations belong to the Council and more than 75,000 working men and women belong to Council-affiliated organizations. United, they are a voice for the interests of working people in King County. 

The leaders and unions that were honored were: Faye Gunther, Secretary-Treasurer of UFCW Local 21, Jon Holden, President of The Boeing Machinists Union, and our own John Scearcy, Secretary-Treasurer of Local 117.

The common thread for all the honorees was the progress each has made in advancing the interests of working families through strong contracts and negotiation strategies, successful strike activities, and organizing new members.

Perhaps most significant was that each of the Union leaders was recognized and honored for following a deliberate strategy of putting members in the forefront to build strong and progressive unions.

In particular, John Scearcy was recognized for his successful contract leverage strategy for our members at Darigold and Sysco food service as well as his leadership in the successful organizing of more than 270 new members at TransDev paratransit. 

Joining John on the podium was John Secord, a new member of our Union who was active in the campaign to organize his fellow drivers at TransDev.  Mr. Secord spoke of the power of member involvement in the campaign to organize his workplace as well as the power and dedication of Local 117 and its leadership. Secord also praised the members and the Union staff who worked to win the organizing election and a groundbreaking first-time contract.

On giving John the award, labor council head Nicole Grant noted: “ When you want to see a Union that is negotiating strong contracts, putting their members first and engaging in some of the most groundbreaking, nationally recognized and innovative strategies to organize workers in the emerging economy you need look no further than John Scearcy and Teamsters Local 117.”

In a period when the labor movement is under attack, seeing the successes that strong leadership and member involvement can accomplish on behalf of all working families is something that we should all recognize. 

Congratulations to all the union leaders who were honored.