Mo. AFL-CIO exec. board elects Mike Louis to fill unexpired term of retiring President Hugh McVey

Jefferson City – The Executive Board of the Missouri AFL-CIO voted Tuesday, July 1, to elect Mike Louis as President of the State Federation and Jacob Hummel as Secretary Treasurer. Louis, who had been serving as Secretary-Treasurer, will fill the unexpired term of retiring President Hugh McVey, who has held the post for the past 18 years.

“It is with pride and conviction that I accept this office and take the oath to defend the workers of Missouri at such a critical time,” Louis said. “We have seen the well-funded and relentless attacks on the freedom of working people to come together to make a better life for themselves and their families. It is time to stop the agenda of ALEC and other well-funded special interest groups that would damage our education,  fair taxation and limit worker’s rights. I look forward to working with all of labor, responsible employers and the legislators who share in our concerns for preserving the middle class here in Missouri.” Louis, a former business representative for Machinists District 9, took over the secretary-treasurer’s post in 2013 following the retirement of longtime Secretary-Treasurer Herb Johnson. “It is a great honor to follow President McVey and those others who have come before me in this fight to empower the workers of Missouri to get an honest day’s pay for an honest day’s work,” Louis said. “That is all that the working people of this state want,” said Louis. Newly-elected Secretary Treasurer Jacob Hummel is the Missouri House Minority Leader (D-St. Louis) and a member of IBEW Local 1

Hummel said he is “very proud to be part of this organization and looking forward to the challenge. Working together as a labor movement is the only way we can stand up to the extremists who put our middle class at risk to reward the CEOs who have been shipping Missouri jobs overseas. McVey, 60, announced his plans for retirement in April, citing health problems. Louis will fulfill the remainder of McVey’s term until the council’s next convention, which will be Sept. 14-17 in St. Louis.