LEADING STORIES
Havens Joins the Government Affairs Team

As of January 2007, Steve Havens is the newest addition to the growing Government Affairs Department in the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades. As assistant to the general president, Havens will be spearheading all International activities on the political action front in the Western Region.

A resident of the San Francisco Bay Area, he joined the IUPAT in 1987 as an apprentice in the Carpet, Linoleum and Soft Tile Workers Local Union 1288 in District Council 16 (Northern California). His dedication to union activities earned him the opportunity to represent his membership as a ‘Member at Large’ on the executive board of the newly formed Local Union 12 (the result of three Bay Area floor covering locals merging in 1993 that included Local Union 1288) in 1994.

In 1999, Brother Havens was elected as a business representative for District Council 16 representing Local Union 12. He served in that position for the next three years stationed in San Jose, California.

It was his next post in 2002 that put him squarely involved with leading membership mobilization efforts in political action. District Council 16 Business Manager/Secretary-Treasurer Gene Massey tapped Havens to be the district council’s legislative/communications director.

Over the course of the next four years he rallied IUPAT members to participate in two California gubernatorial elections, two presidential campaigns and numerous successful local, state and federal initiatives and campaigns in multiple states.

In addition to his political action duties, he kept the communications arm of the district council going by maintaining its web site and corresponding with the membership. He also served as chairman and a trustee to the Resilient Floor Covering Pension Fund, as well as a trustee on the Northern Californian Floor Covering Industry Health & Welfare Fund, Northern California Floor Covering Joint Apprenticeship & Training Trust Fund and Central Coast Counties Floor Covering Industry Annuity Fund.

“Steve is a great addition to the Government Affairs Department and we look forward to putting his dedication to political activism to work for the entire IUPAT,” said Government Affairs Administrator Mike Monroe. “With an unprecedented early start to the presidential campaign, we have a busy two years ahead for our team. We’re looking forward to the work ahead of us.”