Ohio Labor Leader of the Week: Ivan Stithem, President of the Mid-Ohio AFL-CIO Central Labor Council

Ivan Stithem was a Steelworker for thirty-two years until his plant was moved out of Marion.  Now, he’s an OCSEA member, working as a corrections officer at Marion Correctional Institute.  Mr. Stithem began his first term as president of the CLC this January.  Previously, he served as Secretary Treasurer.  He also served as a Marion City Councilman from 1982 to 1993. 

Recently, under the leadership of Mr. Stithem and the previous CLC president, Mike Thomas (now also serving on the City Council), the Mid-Ohio CLC celebrated a considerable victory: it got a resolution passed in the Marion City Council to support the Employee Free Choice Act.  At every public hearing of the resolution, at least fifteen union members showed up to make their voices heard in support its passage. 

Now that the resolution has been passed, the Mid-Ohio CLC will be focusing on other political efforts.  They’re planning a strong labor-to-labor walk for June 2828 to talk about the “Real John McCain” and his opposition to issues such as the Employee Free Choice Act.  The Mid-Ohio Labor Council is a highly active Council; Pres. Stithem credits a tradition of engaged leadership and fraternity with his council’s success.  Bill Burga brought this ethic to the region in the seventies, Stithem says: “He educated us that if you want something for labor, you’ve got to be involved…it’s not a one man show.  We don’t get anything done if it’s one man.”