Mike Knisley, Secretary-Treasurer of the Ohio State Building and Construction Trades Council (OSBCTC), joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast to discuss the legacy of former OSBCTC Secretary-Treasurer Dennis Duffey, who recently passed away.
On July 17, Ohio lost one of its labor legends. Duffey, 77, passed away after a 2.5-year battle with lung cancer. He was the driving force behind the creation and funding of Affiliated Construction Trades (ACT) Ohio. In addition to leading the OSBCTC for a decade, he was the former Business Manager of IBEW Local 8 (1992-2007) and past President of the Northwest Ohio Building and Construction Trades Council (1997-2007).
Knisley, who followed Duffey as the OSBCTC Secretary-Treasurer, shared Duffey's legacy. Knisley recalled Duffey’s accomplishments, including bringing the state’s building trades council back from near-insolvency to be a driving force in Ohio.
Duffey’s vision for ACT Ohio helped establish a bipartisan building trades majority in both state legislative chambers. Knisley said this move has helped maintain Ohio’s Prevailing Wage law and stopped So-called “Right to Work” legislation from being enacted in the Buckeye State. Knisley expressed his gratitude for Duffey's work, which has enabled Knisley to more easily reach Project Labor Agreements to build most of the megaprojects in Ohio.
Listen to the show above to hear more from Knisley as he discusses Duffey’s legacy.