Don Willey Retiring, Ronny Griffin Taking the Lead at Laborers Local 110
Date Posted: June 23, 2021
Posted In: Organizations, People,
From Labor Tribune: In 1978, Ronny Griffin was offered a summer job in construction at Fred Weber as a union laborer with Laborers Local 110. Little did he know then that he would be leading the 3,000-member union 43 year later.
Griffin, who currently serves as president of the union, will take over as business manager on June 30 when Don Willey retires from the position. Griffin has been a business agent for 10 years – a position he turned down three times before agreeing to serve on the business side.
“I enjoyed doing the field work, and at the time, I didn’t realize the upward mobility in the organization that was available to me,” Griffin said. “But it’s not just a job, it’s a career and you can go all the way to business manager, which never in my wildest dreams I thought I’d achieve.”
HISTORIC PROMOTION
Willey has been planning to retire the last year and a half. He recommended Griffin take over as his replacement, and the executive board unanimously approved. The promotion makes Griffin the first Black construction trades business manager in the St. Louis area.
“I’m honored to have this position bestowed upon me by the executive board, and I’m sure that my ancestors would be proud as well,” Griffin said. “It will be a lot of pressure, but I have the full support of the executive board, staff and past business managers who are all available to me.”