NYS AFL-CIO Officers

 Denis Hughes - President

Denis M. Hughes, President of the 2.5 million member New York State AFL-CIO, became a union member at the age of 16 when he joined the Retail Clerks Union.

In 1968, Mr. Hughes became a member of Local Union No. 3 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. In 1975 he completed his apprenticeship and became an “A” journeyman electrician.

In 1985 Mr. Hughes joined the New York State AFL-CIO staff as Political Director and Assistant to the President. In February, 1990 he was appointed to the position of Executive Assistant to the President. In this capacity, Mr. Hughes was responsible for the coordination of the COPE and Legislative programs as well as the overall policy and development of the staff departments within the State Federation.

On March 23, 1999 Denis Hughes was elected President of the New York State AFL-CIO. He was subsequently re-elected to four year terms in August, 2000, August, 2004 and August 2008.

As President of the New York State AFL-CIO, Mr. Hughes has made creating a more mobile, active and aggressive statewide labor movement a top priority. He has set a tone for organizing new members into the movement and has led the way in developing proactive legislative and political statewide strategy.

Under his leadership, in 2007 the New York State AFL-CIO engineered the passage of historic legislation, reforming the state’s workers’ compensation system.  As a result, for the first time in state history, workers’ compensation benefits are now indexed to 2/3 of the average weekly wage, thus insuring that injured workers will never again have to bargain for a benefits increase.

President Hughes has been successful in helping to pass historic legislation that provides farm workers a minimum wage equal to that of all other workers in the state, as well as leading labor’s efforts to secure Pension COLA legislation that will help New York’s public sector workers live their retirement years in dignity.

In addition, historic “card check” legislation was passed that recognizes union designation by showing a majority interest through card check. This groundbreaking legislation speeds up the recognition process for those employees whose bargaining rights fall within the jurisdiction of the State Employee Relations Board.

In another legislative organizing victory, in 2002 President Hughes led a successful statewide effort to pass legislation that prohibits public employers and state contractors from using state funds to deter union organizing. In 2001, President Hughes led the way for New York State to become the first state in the country to adopt and implement the New Alliance. This historic restructuring initiative consolidates the economic, political and legislative force of the labor movement. The New Alliance allows the labor movement to better utilize its resources in order to secure progressive legislation and help labor supported candidates gain victory on Election Day.

Under President Hughes’ leadership, the New York State AFL-CIO formed the state federation’s Arts and Entertainment Industry Committee in 2000.  The committee was formed as a result of organized labor’s coordinated efforts to help resolve the SAG/AFTRA commercials strike that same year.  The committee’s purpose is to join together unions from across the spectrum of the entertainment industry in New York, and to work cooperatively on issues of shared interest and concern.  Over the years, the committee has been instrumental in showing a united front on numerous contract negotiations and legislative lobbying efforts including securing tax credits that helped to sustain the industry.

Following the September 11th tragedy, President Hughes coordinated labor’s successful efforts to secure $20 Billion in federal funding to help rebuild New York City and New York State.

President Hughes currently serves on Cornell University’s Board of Trustees and serves as a member of the university’s Standing Committee on Governmental Relations as well as the Standing Committee on Alumni Affairs and Development.

In 2008, President Hughes was appointed to a three year term as a Commissioner of the New York State Insurance Fund.

In October of 2008, President Hughes was appointed to the New York State Commission on State Asset Maximization, which was established under Governor Paterson to examine the role of public-private partnerships in the long-term economic growth of New York State.
 
Also in 2008, Brother Hughes was appointed by the Governor to serve as a Board Member of the New York State Racing Association.

In 2004, Brother Hughes was appointed to the Board of Directors of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.  On August 24, 2009, Brother Hughes was designated chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s Board of Directors. 

Denis Hughes is a graduate of the Empire State College, with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Labor and Industrial Relations.

Secretary-Treasurer

Terrence L. Melvin holds the second highest office in the New York State labor movement – Secretary-Treasurer of the 2.5 million member New York State AFL-CIO.  He served as the Executive Assistant to CSEA Statewide President Danny Donohue for 11 years prior to his election as Secretary-Treasurer of the State Federation in July 2007.

Mr. Melvin is the former President of CSEA Local 427, a local union representing over 2,000 members of the West Seneca Developmental Center, a position he held for thirteen years.  He is a former Secretary of CSEA Western Region 6 and has an extensive background in numerous CSEA elective and appointed positions.

In the community, Mr. Melvin is a long-time activist who has touched many lives.  He serves as Director of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists (CBTU) Region One, representing unionists in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Ontario, Canada.  He is a member of the CBTU National Executive Board, a founding member of the CBTU Buffalo Chapter, a former President of the First Ward Boosters, Inc. and currently a Vice President of SBC Foundation, Inc.

In the political realm, he knows the power of the vote.  He is continuously working to increase voter registration, promoting Get-Out-The-Vote drives, and is active in national, state, local, city and school board elections.

Mr. Melvin is an ordained Baptist Minister.  He serves as Associate Minister and Assistant to the Pastor at Second Baptist Church, Lackawanna, New York.

Mr. Melvin is a graduate of the Rochester Center for Theological and Biblical Studies with an Associate Degree in Ministry.  He is married to Sonja Marie Melvin, and has three children:  Candice, Terrence II and Crystal.