DANNY HOMAN ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT AS PRESIDENT OF AFSCME COUNCIL 61 AFTER 16 YEARS
New President to be elected at Council 61 Convention July 24th
DES MOINES – Danny Homan, President of AFSCME Council 61, today announced that he will retire at the end of his term. A new President will be elected at the union’s upcoming convention on July 24th. Homan, 68, has been an employee of Council 61 for over 33 years and was elected President in 2005.
“I am proud to have had the trust and support of the members of this council for the last 16 years,” said President Homan. “Working here has been the honor of my life. Every day I knew thousands of people were counting on me and this council to have their back, and I am proud to say that we did. In both the good times and the bad, AFSCME was there fighting for the hard working men and women of the state of Iowa, Missouri and Kansas, in our cities, counties, schools, state and private sector employers. While there is a lot of fight left in me, I know that now is the time for new leadership to move the council forward.”
Danny Homan became a member of AFSCME in 1986 when he worked as an officer with community-based corrections in Sioux City. He joined the staff of AFSCME in 1988 as a staff representative. He was elected Council President in 2005 and has run unopposed for the position ever since.
Homan leaves behind a legacy of steady leadership during a tumultuous time for public employees across the country. After his election, Homan immediately set to work unifying the union after years of division. During the Great Recession, Homan fought to protect his membership and worked with state and local leaders on enacting measures that protected jobs and benefits. He fought for and secured new policies that helped hundreds of thousands of people across the state, including raising the minimum wage, marriage equality, and expanding Iowa’s civil rights law. Homan’s leadership helped elect dozens of pro-worker leaders to all levels of government, from city halls to the White House. After Republicans passed dangerous changes to Iowa’s collective bargaining law, Homan has successfully steered the union to retain more than 95% of its locals during recertification elections and has fought to make sure the voice of public employees is still heard in the workplace, while in Missouri was part of a successful lawsuit that prevented legislation that would have restricted collective bargaining rights and made all state employees at-will.
“I am proud of the work that we have accomplished during my time at AFSCME Council 61,” Homan continued. “But the important work done was not because of one person, it was because of our amazing members and staff who get up each day and keep the states of Iowa, Missouri, and Kansas running. While I may be stepping down from this position, I won’t stop fighting for our members and for the policies that show them the respect they have earned. I look forward to continuing this fight with whoever replaces me, and they can know they will have my utmost support.”
AFSCME Council 61 represents more than 55,000 members in over 230 bargaining units across Iowa, Missouri, and Kansas.