Edward C. Sullivan is a former American labor union leader. Born in

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

, Sullivan became an assistant elevator mechanic in 1964, and joined the

International Union of Elevator Constructors The International Union of Elevator Constructors (IUEC) is a trade union in the United States and Canada that represents members who construct, modernize, repair, and service elevators, escalators, moving walkways, and other conveyances. The IUEC ...

. 17 years later, he was elected as business manager of his union local. In the post, he campaigned for democratic reforms in the international union. This was successful, and in 1996, he was appointed as assistant to the union's president, and then in 1998 he won election as president of the union. In 2000, Sullivan was elected president of the Building and Construction Trades Department, AFL-CIO. In the post, he created the Helmets to Hardhats to encourage military veterans to work in the industry, and he formed the Construction Users Roundtable to work with employers. On election, he faced opposition from some affiliates, which culminated in the resignation of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters and

United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America The United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America, often simply the United Brotherhood of Carpenters (UBC), was formed in 1881 by Peter J. McGuire and Gustav Luebkert. It has become one of the largest trade unions in the United State ...

. However, he won over the remaining affiliates and solidified his position. Sullivan was also elected as a vice-president of the AFL-CIO. From 2003, he served as secretary-treasurer of

Ullico Ullico Inc. is a privately held insurance and financial services holding company in the United States. Formerly known as Union Labor Life Insurance Company, it was founded in 1927 by the American Federation of Labor (AFL) and its then president, ...

. He also chaired the boards of directors of the National Coordinating Committee for Multi-employer Plans and the Center to Protect Workers' Rights. He retired from all his posts in 2007, but accepted a general board seat on Ullico. In 1997, Sullivan received the Gompers-Murray-Meany Award, the top award of the Massachusetts AFL-CIO.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sullivan, Ed Year of birth missing (living people) Living people American trade union leaders People from Boston Trade unionists from Massachusetts Vice presidents of the AFL–CIO