Providing opportunities for Northeast Ohio union Brothers and Sisters

As our coverage continues for Black History Month, Davida Russell, the Executive Secretary and Treasurer of the North Coast Area Labor Federation, joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast to talk about her career serving her union Brothers and Sisters in Ohio. Russell talked about how she got her start and provided updates on the Ohio School Bus Safety Committee.

Russell has been involved with unions and the Ohio Labor movement for decades. She currently serves as a Vice President of the Ohio AFL-CIO, State President of the Coalition of Labor Union Women and President of the Northeast Ohio District of the Ohio Association of Public-School Employees OAPSE/AFSCME Local 4/AFL-CIO. In these positions, she represents more than 180,000 members across Ohio and 11,000 in Northeast Ohio. Prior to her retirement, Russell served as the President of the Ohio Association of Public-School Employees OAPSE/AFSCME Local 744 for 22 years.

Russell talked about her start in the trades during the time of “Reaganomics,” and the way she found her way into the unions like her mother. Despite Russell joking about quitting daily, she spent the next few decades enjoying life as a school bus driver, while simultaneously organizing and leading her union Brothers and Sisters. She said that the fight for workers and creating equal opportunity for her members to succeed keeps her motivated.

The last time we spoke with Russell, a former bus driver, she had just been appointed by Gov. Mike DeWine to a group of experts to study school bus safety in Ohio. Russell shared the story of how she found out about the appointment, and how shocking that was for her. The safety committee was a great experience, and she was able to impart her knowledge and experience of the day-to-day job of a driver and potential safety issues.

Listen to the show above to learn more about Russell.