President Cook re-elected by landslide; entire rank-and-file Executive Board by acclamation

Leadership to continue to ‘fight for rights of our members’

“Landslide” is the way a member online responded to the news that UFCW Local 655 incumbent President David Cook was re-elected by an 87 percent margin in vote counting Sept. 22 along with the re-election of our Local’s Executive Board and key officers.

In thanking his members for their overwhelming vote of confidence, Cook said, “As I campaigned in all the Local 655 locations and interacted with my partners it truly re-energized me to a level every bit as much as I had in 2011 when I was first elected president. I am still honored and humbled to hold this title and responsibility.”

Cook, a 46-year Local 655 member, assumed the union’s top leadership position in 2011 when then President Jim Dougherty retired. He has been re-elected ever since. He first joined the union in 1977 as a courtesy clerk for Kroger, joining the union’s staff in 1987 as an organizer.

TO THE FUTURE
Looking to the future, Cook said, “We just completed our first stewards conference in over three years due to COVID and the whole conversation was reengaging with our stewards and partners on the shop floor to help us grow the strength, size, and power of Local 655. Growing the strength, size, and power of Local 655 has been my goal from before I was ever elected president and continues to be today.

“Our leadership team will continue to fight for the rights of our members and our Labor Movement in this unique political environment that has engulfed Missouri and our nation,” Cook said enthusiastically.

LOCAL OFFICERS RE-ELECTED
The local’s incumbent officers and rank-and-file executive board were re-elected by acclamation (See separate story on this page).

ELECTION MONITORS
Serving as election judges were Craig Warren (Schnucks Crestwood), Diane Hempill (Schnucks Crestwood), Kelsey Campbell (MidTown Market), David Wilkinson (Schnucks High Ridge), Debbie Williams (Schnucks Fenton), Charon Walker (Dierbergs Central Kitchen) and Thomas Vierling (Schnucks Ladue). Paige Carson (Schnucks High Ridge) served as an alternative judge.

Overseeing the election was Election Committee Chairperson Sandra Nelson and Co-chair Sean Shannon.

The mail-in election vote count, held Sept. 22 at the union’s offices, was professionally organized and counted by TrueBallot, a nationally respected election ballot organization that provides services to Labor unions, associations, Native American tribal groups, homeowners associations and cooperatives, public entities and other organizations.