James Slevin

James T. Slevin, president of the Utility Workers Union of America, AFL-CIO, was elected July 2019. In that role, he represents around 45,000 active members employed in the energy, electric, gas, steam, water, and related professional, technical, and service industries.

Slevin was born and raised in a union household in The Bronx. The son of Irish immigrants and a UWUA shop steward, Slevin graduated from Mt. Saint Michael’s High School in The Bronx. From there he began his union career as a carpenter. In 1987 Slevin signed on as a utility worker at Consolidated Edison. Working his way up from helper to cable splicer, Slevin became a Local 1-2 shop steward in 1989.

Slevin was elected as an officer of the Local 1-2 in 2005 until he appointed as president of the local in December of 2013. He was later elected to that position in March 2014 and re-elected in March 2017. During his years as president, Slevin successfully negotiated dozens of new labor agreements, notably a contract with Con Edison that avoided a labor disruption.

He currently serves on the AFL-CIO Executive Council. He has studied at the Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations and is a recent graduate of the National Labor Leadership Initiative sponsored by the AFL-CIO.

He is a married father of three children, with his wife Maureen, a registered nurse.