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New York, NY – This years’ LaborPress Organizer of the Year Award will be presented to Michael Arena. The formal presentation is scheduled for June 12, 2025.
Mike Arena is the Union Organizer and Vice President of the Cement and Concrete Workers Union Local 20 of LIUNA District Council 16. While the union organizer job is critical to a labor organization, it is the most difficult position in the union. He has over 25 years in the Local.
Already by the age of ten he was drawn to the world which he saw before him: he wanted to become a union delegate like his grandfather. “My grandfather was originally an organizer for the longshoremen, then he became a union delegate; he was my idol,” says Arena.
One can’t help but be moved and even inspired in one’s own work thinking about how generations can inspire and pass on knowledge to one another, he said.
There are many responsibilities required for the job of union organizer and knowledge of both the technical aspects of the job as well as legal issues concerned with organizing are needed. The successful union organizer in the construction business must have a thorough understanding of the industry and particularly the non-union companies. The organizer is continually reaching out to non-union contractors and workers.
Arena is known for his tenacity and dedication to the union and their members. He continually reaches out to non-union tradesmen to educate them about the benefits of union membership and collective bargaining. He is known for building trust as he spends much time listening to concerns of contractors and workers.
“Every day is a fight,” says Arena. “The challenge of being a union organizer – the best feeling is when you sign a company and put 20 local guys to work.”
These battles for change are not easy. “The biggest challenge a union organizer faces is employer resistance and the need to overcome fear of retaliation or job loss when trying to organize a work place,” continues Arena.
“I worked to build support for a labor union,” he says, “by recruiting new members and educating employees about their rights and benefits. Coordinating campaigns, advocating for better working conditions; by negotiating with employers on behalf of our workforce.”
Finally, Vice President and Union Organizer Mike Arena says, proudly, on behalf of union members, “We are the District Council 16. We are a safe, skilled and trained workforce. Our job is to serve the membership.”
