LP Profile: Leadership Award-Winner Matthew Chartrand

Publisher’s Note: Every December, LaborPress selects those in labor and business that have demonstrated outstanding leadership in their trade and profession. This years’ recipients of the prestigious LaborPress Leadership Award are as follows: Mark Cannizzaro, president, Council of School Supervisors and Administrators [CSA]; James Slevin, national president, Utility Workers Union of America [UWUA]; Nicholas LaMorte, president, Civil Service Employees Association, Long Island Region [CSEA]; Mark Gregorio, president, TEI Group; and Matthew Chartrand, business manager/financial secretary-treasurer, Ironworkers Local 361.

Matthew Chartrand is business manager/financial secretary-treasurer of Ironworkers Local 361. He was born in Brooklyn in 1967. When he was seven, his parents moved to Long Island. He attended Stony Brook University for courses in Computer Science and Liberal Arts, and attained an Associate Degree in Liberal Arts from Nassau Community College. 

After graduating college and running his own home improvement business, Chartrand began working as a Local 361 apprentice in 1993, graduating to journeyman in 1996. As a journeyman Ironworker, he worked all phases of iron work, including bolting up, raising gang, shop steward, and foreman. 

Chartrand was appointed business agent/vice president of Ironworkers Local 361 in 2004. He was elected President in 2008 and also served as assistant apprentice coordinator. In July 2013, he became the business manager/financial secretary treasurer. 

Chartrand says an achievement of the union is “helping all workers, union and non-union, helping all on both sides of the aisle.” 

Upcoming, there is “lots of infrastructure work, that is well needed – airport workers – we are at LaGuardia and are going into Kennedy. We are going into public/private partnerships so we will be able to invest in our own guys working.” 

In 2009, Chartrand was appointed by Steve Levy, the Suffolk County supervisor (and subsequently approved by the Suffolk County Legislature) as a member of the Suffolk Planning Commission, reviewing major projects in the county. 

Chartrand has submitted his recommendation from Local 361 members as candidates to the selection committee of the IMPACT Scholarship for Women Building the Nation. Each time those candidates have been awarded this scholarship. He looks forward to continuing his work with Non-Traditional Employment for Women [NEW] and encouraging women in the unionized construction industry. 

Chartrand has lived in Islip Township for the past 35 years. His personal achievements include coaching West Islip football, serving as an active alumni of West Islip High School, and performing volunteer work for the community. He was awarded the Computer Science Award and taught Computer Education to students in junior high and elementary schools. He performed volunteer service building the Brookhaven Fire Fighters Museum. 

Chartrand loves to ski and currently resides in West Islip with his wife Lori and their four children.