Alan O. Link
Secretary-Treasurer 

Al was elected Secretary-Treasurer of the Washington State Labor Council in 1994. He has been a member of the United Steelworkers of America since 1961. Link has served in a number of positions in the labor movement over the past two decades. He presided over the Spokane County Central Labor Council as President since 1989 and served as President of Steelworkers Local 329, representing workers at the Kaiser Aluminum plant in Spokane since 1991. He also served as Chair of the Steelworkers Legislative and Education Committee for 15 years and was a Vice President of the Washington State Labor Council’s Executive Board since 1981. Currently, he serves on the State Apprenticeship Council, State Board of Community & Technical Colleges, U of W Department of Environmental & Health Advisory Board, the Self-Insured Insolvency Trust and Washington Dental Service board.

Link was born and raised in the Spokane area. His family has also had deep roots in the labor movement. His father, Roy, was longtime president of USWA Local 329, and as safety committee chair helped establish the safety standards for the light metals industry in the state. Link’s mother, Mary, was a longtime COPE Director for the Spokane County Central Labor Council. She also helped organize and served as secretary-treasurer of the AFSCME Local at the Department of Labor & Industries in Spokane. Link’s wife Dian was a staff representative with the United Steelworkers of America and was a USWA member for 13 years.

Link has a special interest in occupational safety and health issues. As Chair of the Washington State Labor Council’s WISHA Monitoring Committee for 8 years, Link helped the Council’s effort to win passage of the Worker Community Right-to-Know state law, as well as asbestos regulation and improved workers’ compensation rules.

As Secretary-Treasurer of the largest labor organization in the state, Link hopes to create an environment of participation by rank-and-file members of affiliates in the political process. He plans to actively lobby for legislation that helps working people in the state. He also intends to pay special attention to the new policies being developed on workforce training and education.

Link and his wife have a son, Ryan.  Link also has two daughters, one a President of an AFSCME local in Colville and the other is a nurse and the former mayor of a small town in Oregon.

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Copyright © 2005  Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO