Arlene Holt Baker
Encyclopedia
Arlene Holt Baker is an African American
trade union
activist and labor leader. A staff assistant with the AFL-CIO
since 1995, she was appointed Executive Vice-President of the labor federation by the AFL-CIO Executive Council in 2007 and won re-election in 2009. She became the first African American in the federation's history to serve as an officer.
. Her father, W.S. Leslie, was a laborer and her mother, Louise Leslie, was a domestic worker
. She was one of seven children.
Holt Baker became an organizer with American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees
(AFSCME) in the late 1980s. She began organizing public sector employees for the state of California
, and eventually was hired as an international union staff representative. She rose to become an "area director" in California, overseeing AFSCME's collective bargaining
efforts for public employee locals and leading the union's political operations for statewide and federal races.
was elected president of the AFL-CIO, unseating incumbent Thomas R. Donahue
. Sweeney's running mate, Linda Chavez-Thompson
, was elected the labor federation's Executive Vice-President. Chavez-Thompson, a local AFSCME leader from Texas
, hired Holt Baker as her executive assistant.
Holt Baker was given a number of assignments in addition to her duties as an executive assistant to Chavez-Thompson. In 1998, she led the AFL-CIO's successful effort to defeat California Proposition 226, which would have denied dues check-off
to public employees belonging to unions
and required all union members in the state to annually give their assent before any portion of their dues could be used for political purposes.
Holt Baker's success in leading this campaign caused her to be named an executive assistant to AFL-CIO president John Sweeney in 1999. She held this position until her appointment as Executive Vice-President. Among her duties as assistant to Sweeney was her role as AFL-CIO liaison to religious groups. Holt Baker's primary duty as Sweeney's assistant, however, was as director of the AFL-CIO's Voice@Work campaign. A precursor effort to American Rights at Work
and Working America
, the Voice@Work project was designed to build community support for union organizing efforts.
As a top aide to Sweeney, Holt Baker was repeatedly tapped to head up AFL-CIO political efforts. In 2000
, she led a coalition of labor unions which registered voters and mobilized supporters in Pennsylvania, an important electoral battleground for unions. Labor's efforts in Pennsylvania were cited as critical to winning the state for the Democratic
column. Holt Baker led the same coalition a second time in 2002, helping Ed Rendell
win the gubernatorial election.
Holt Baker's political work for the AFL-CIO continued in 2003. She was named president of the Working America Alliance, a 527 group
established by a coalition of AFL-CIO member unions. Later that year, she became president of Voices For Working Families (VFWF), another 527 group which eventually became the 14th largest fundraiser among all 527s that year. Holt Baker's work for Voices for Working Families was so successful that the Republican Party
filed a complaint against VFWF and 13 other 527 groups with the Federal Election Commission
. The complaint, which was eventually dismissed, alleged that VFWF and the other 527s were illegally coordinating their electoral efforts with John Kerry
's presidential campaign.
Sweeney named Holt Baker manager of his (successful) 2005 campaign for re-election as president of the AFL-CIO.
In 2005 and 2006, Holt Baker led the AFL-CIO's Hurricane Katrina
recovery response in Louisiana
and Mississippi
. She coordinated disaster relief in the first few months after the natural disaster, and then oversaw AFL-CIO investment and building programs in the region.
At least one prominent labor commentator sharply criticized Holt Baker's elevation. Longtime union democracy
activist Harry Kelber has argued that Chavez-Thompson should not have resigned immediately, but rather given the Executive Council several months' notice so that additional candidates could be recruited and/or their qualifications considered; that the timing of Chavez-Thompson's retirement gave only a few days' notice to the Executive Council before an election was held; and that the appointment of a staff member as an elected leader violates basic principles of union democracy.
Holt Baker was re-elected to the position of Executive Vice President for a full four-year term at the AFL-CIO's regularly scheduled quadrennial convention in September 2009.
. She was pledged to Michael Dukakis
.
Holt Baker rose high within the hierarchy of the Democratic Party of California. She was eventually elected the state party's First Vice Chairwoman. She resigned the position in 1995 to take her job with the AFL-CIO.
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
trade union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
activist and labor leader. A staff assistant with the AFL-CIO
AFL-CIO
The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations, commonly AFL–CIO, is a national trade union center, the largest federation of unions in the United States, made up of 56 national and international unions, together representing more than 11 million workers...
since 1995, she was appointed Executive Vice-President of the labor federation by the AFL-CIO Executive Council in 2007 and won re-election in 2009. She became the first African American in the federation's history to serve as an officer.
Early life and union career
Holt Baker was born in 1951 in Fort Worth, TexasFort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...
. Her father, W.S. Leslie, was a laborer and her mother, Louise Leslie, was a domestic worker
Domestic worker
A domestic worker is a man, woman or child who works within the employer's household. Domestic workers perform a variety of household services for an individual or a family, from providing care for children and elderly dependents to cleaning and household maintenance, known as housekeeping...
. She was one of seven children.
Holt Baker became an organizer with American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees
American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees
The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees is the second- or third-largest labor union in the United States and one of the fastest-growing, representing over 1.4 million employees, primarily in local and state government and in the health care industry. AFSCME is part of the...
(AFSCME) in the late 1980s. She began organizing public sector employees for the state of California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, and eventually was hired as an international union staff representative. She rose to become an "area director" in California, overseeing AFSCME's collective bargaining
Collective bargaining
Collective bargaining is a process of negotiations between employers and the representatives of a unit of employees aimed at reaching agreements that regulate working conditions...
efforts for public employee locals and leading the union's political operations for statewide and federal races.
AFL-CIO career
In 1995, John SweeneyJohn Sweeney (labor leader)
John Joseph Sweeney was the president of the AFL-CIO from 1995 to 2009.-Early years:Born in The Bronx, New York, Sweeney is the son of Joseph and Agnes , both Irish immigrants. The family moved to Yonkers in 1944, where Sweeney attended St. Barnabas Elementary School and graduated from Cardinal...
was elected president of the AFL-CIO, unseating incumbent Thomas R. Donahue
Thomas R. Donahue
Thomas Reilly Donahue was Secretary-Treasurer of the AFL-CIO from 1979 to 1995 and served briefly as its acting President during the second half of 1995.- Early life :...
. Sweeney's running mate, Linda Chavez-Thompson
Linda Chavez-Thompson
Linda Chavez-Thompson is a second-generation Mexican American and union leader. She was elected the executive vice-president of the AFL-CIO in 1995 and served until September 21, 2007. She is also a vice chair of the Democratic National Committee and a member of the board of trustees of United Way...
, was elected the labor federation's Executive Vice-President. Chavez-Thompson, a local AFSCME leader from Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, hired Holt Baker as her executive assistant.
Holt Baker was given a number of assignments in addition to her duties as an executive assistant to Chavez-Thompson. In 1998, she led the AFL-CIO's successful effort to defeat California Proposition 226, which would have denied dues check-off
Union dues
Union dues are a regular payment of money made by members of unions. Dues are the cost of membership; they are used to fund the various activities which the union engages in...
to public employees belonging to unions
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
and required all union members in the state to annually give their assent before any portion of their dues could be used for political purposes.
Holt Baker's success in leading this campaign caused her to be named an executive assistant to AFL-CIO president John Sweeney in 1999. She held this position until her appointment as Executive Vice-President. Among her duties as assistant to Sweeney was her role as AFL-CIO liaison to religious groups. Holt Baker's primary duty as Sweeney's assistant, however, was as director of the AFL-CIO's Voice@Work campaign. A precursor effort to American Rights at Work
American Rights at Work
American Rights at Work is a U.S. self-described nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that advocates for workers and their right to form unions without interference....
and Working America
Working America
Working America is an allied organization of the AFL-CIO which works to build alliances among non-union working people. Working America is a nonpartisan, non-profit organization which provides workers who are not union members input into the policies, goals, and legislative efforts of the AFL-CIO...
, the Voice@Work project was designed to build community support for union organizing efforts.
As a top aide to Sweeney, Holt Baker was repeatedly tapped to head up AFL-CIO political efforts. In 2000
United States presidential election, 2000
The United States presidential election of 2000 was a contest between Republican candidate George W. Bush, then-governor of Texas and son of former president George H. W. Bush , and Democratic candidate Al Gore, then-Vice President....
, she led a coalition of labor unions which registered voters and mobilized supporters in Pennsylvania, an important electoral battleground for unions. Labor's efforts in Pennsylvania were cited as critical to winning the state for the Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
column. Holt Baker led the same coalition a second time in 2002, helping Ed Rendell
Ed Rendell
Edward Gene "Ed" Rendell is an American politician who served as the 45th Governor of Pennsylvania. Rendell, a member of the Democratic Party, was elected Governor of Pennsylvania in 2002, and his term of office began January 21, 2003...
win the gubernatorial election.
Holt Baker's political work for the AFL-CIO continued in 2003. She was named president of the Working America Alliance, a 527 group
527 group
A 527 organization or 527 group is a type of American tax-exempt organization named after "Section 527" of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code...
established by a coalition of AFL-CIO member unions. Later that year, she became president of Voices For Working Families (VFWF), another 527 group which eventually became the 14th largest fundraiser among all 527s that year. Holt Baker's work for Voices for Working Families was so successful that the Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
filed a complaint against VFWF and 13 other 527 groups with the Federal Election Commission
Federal Election Commission
The Federal Election Commission is an independent regulatory agency that was founded in 1975 by the United States Congress to regulate the campaign finance legislation in the United States. It was created in a provision of the 1975 amendment to the Federal Election Campaign Act...
. The complaint, which was eventually dismissed, alleged that VFWF and the other 527s were illegally coordinating their electoral efforts with John Kerry
John Kerry
John Forbes Kerry is the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts, the 10th most senior U.S. Senator and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2004 presidential election, but lost to former President George W...
's presidential campaign.
Sweeney named Holt Baker manager of his (successful) 2005 campaign for re-election as president of the AFL-CIO.
In 2005 and 2006, Holt Baker led the AFL-CIO's Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
recovery response in Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
and Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
. She coordinated disaster relief in the first few months after the natural disaster, and then oversaw AFL-CIO investment and building programs in the region.
AFL-CIO election
On September 11, 2007, Chavez-Thompson announced she would retire from her post as AFL-CIO Executive Vice-President on September 21, 2007. AFL-CIO President John Sweeney immediately announced that he intended to have the federation executive council approve Holt Baker to fill the remainder of Chavez-Thompson's unexpired term. At its regularly scheduled meeting 10 days later, the AFL-CIO Executive Council unanimously voted to approve Arlene Holt Baker as AFL-CIO Executive Vice-President. Her term expired in 2009.At least one prominent labor commentator sharply criticized Holt Baker's elevation. Longtime union democracy
Union democracy
Union democracy is a school of thought within organized labor which argues that sound unionism requires adherence to principles and practices of democratic trade unionism; that internal democracy and greater membership control make unions stronger and better able to fight for the rights and...
activist Harry Kelber has argued that Chavez-Thompson should not have resigned immediately, but rather given the Executive Council several months' notice so that additional candidates could be recruited and/or their qualifications considered; that the timing of Chavez-Thompson's retirement gave only a few days' notice to the Executive Council before an election was held; and that the appointment of a staff member as an elected leader violates basic principles of union democracy.
Holt Baker was re-elected to the position of Executive Vice President for a full four-year term at the AFL-CIO's regularly scheduled quadrennial convention in September 2009.
Political work
Holt Baker has been active in Democratic politics most of her adult life. She was elected a delegate from California to the 1988 Democratic National Convention1988 Democratic National Convention
The 1988 National Convention of the U.S. Democratic Party was held at The Omni in Atlanta, Georgia from July 18–July 21, 1988 to select a candidate for the 1988 United States presidential election. At the convention Gov. Michael Dukakis of Massachusetts was nominated for President and...
. She was pledged to Michael Dukakis
Michael Dukakis
Michael Stanley Dukakis served as the 65th and 67th Governor of Massachusetts from 1975–1979 and from 1983–1991, and was the Democratic presidential nominee in 1988. He was born to Greek immigrants in Brookline, Massachusetts, also the birthplace of John F. Kennedy, and was the longest serving...
.
Holt Baker rose high within the hierarchy of the Democratic Party of California. She was eventually elected the state party's First Vice Chairwoman. She resigned the position in 1995 to take her job with the AFL-CIO.
External links
- "Arlene Holt Baker. AFL-CIO Top Officers." AFL-CIO. No date. Accessed November 6, 2007.