In 1974, Mark first became a member of what was then called the Retail Clerks International Union when he started as a bagger at a Piggly Wiggly store in Racine WI. He was a Full Time Produce Dept. employee when he joined the staff of Local 1444 in 1987 as an organizer.
He became a Union Representative in 2000 and also serves on numerous boards and councils, including: Delegate to the Milwaukee, Racine, and Kenosha County Labor Councils, and Board of Directors for the Racine Union Hall Association. Mark is also the local union's Chairman for the Annual Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Annual Bowlathon and Raffle. Mark and his wife Carol live in Racine.
Francisco Martin- Union Representative
In 1969, Francisco began his meat cutting career with Kohl's Food Stores where he started as an apprentice while learning the skillsneeded to become a journeyman. He was born in Mexico, and came to the USA from Alnico, Mexico in 1965.
As a migrant worker, he worked in the fields of California picking lettuce, tomatoes, and grapes. He became a citizen in 1979 while working at Kohl's and later volunteered for the Union's Special Project Union Representative (SPUR) Program where he worked on organizing programs at Conagra and Patrick Cudahy in Omaha, Ne., Extendicare Nursing Homes and WISPAK in Wisconsin. He was hired as a full-time organizer by UFCW Local 73a in 1998, and serves as delegate to the Milwaukee County Labor Council. Francisco is married, and he and his wife, Maria, have 4 children and live in Milwaukee.
Dale Seianas - Union Representative
In 1966, Dale became a member of Retail Clerks Local 1403 in Racine when he started to work for Piggly Wiggly. He was employed there for 19 years and served as a union steward for 11 of those years. He served on the Local 1403 Executive Board and continued on the board when they merged with Local 1444. He was hired as a full time Representative in January of 1986 and he was Secretary-Treasurer of Local 1444 when it merged with Local 73A to form Local 1473 and currently serves as Recorder in the new local union.
Dale also serves as delegate to the Racine and Kenosha Labor Councils; he is a vice-president on the Kenosha Labor Council and he also served on the board of the FCM Credit Union for 15 years. Dale and his wife, Gail, live in Racine.
Scott Spearo - Union Representative
Scott Spearo first became a member of UFCW in 1984 when he started working third shift, stocking shelves at the East Capital Pick 'N Save. In 1985 Scott began working as an apprentice meat cutter and in 1989 he became a journeyman.
Scott was a member of Local 1444 in his 14 years at Pick 'N Save and then became a member of Local 73a when he started work at Jewel. Most recently Scott worked at BKT - Bayview Sentry food store. As a UFCW member, Scott served on bargaining committees for Jewel Foods and has been a member of the executive board since 2003.
Scott works out of the Milwaukee office. In his personal life Scott is an active bowler and a lifelong Packer fan.
Brian Romanowich - Union Representative
Brian first became a member of Local 1444 when he began working for Kohl's Food Stores in Milwaukee in 1991. His Union Steward had made him aware of a new union program called Special Project Union Representative (S.P.U.R.). The program allows union members to receive a leave of absence from their employer and work for their union for a limited amount of time on organizing projects. Brian was working on the Extendicare Nursing Home project and found that he enjoyed the work so much that he applied for full-time work with the Union and he was subsequently hired on December 31, 2001.
Brian now works as an Organizer and a Union Representative and also serves as a delegate to the Milwaukee County Labor Council and to the South Central Federation of Labor in Madison.. Brian is also Local 1444's "Wake up Wal-Mart" coordinator and is responsible for planning and implementing all activities which are designed to make Wal-Mart a better corporate citizen.
Susan Edwards - Union Representative
Susan joined UFCW Local 1473 in the fall of 2007 as a researcher/organizer. She began her career in research at the Institute for Wisconsin's Future where she researched Wisconsin state tax policy and health care institutions.
Susan also served one year as an AmeriCorps volunteer with Public Allies Milwaukee. Public Allies is a national leadership training and volunteer program that places young leaders in local non-profit organizations and trains them in community leadership.
In 2005, she earned a bachelors degree in political science and journalism from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. After graduating, Susan returned to her hometown Milwaukee, where she currently resides.
Randy Knox - Union Representative
Randy Knox officially joined the UFCW Local 1473 staff as an organizer in March 2009 after working nearly 14 years at Woodman’s Food Markets both in the meat department and more recently as a truck driver. Randy started helping the Local out full time as a Special Projects Union Representative (SPUR) in March 2008. After working with the Local for a year as an organizer through the SPUR program it was a natural transition for him to come on staff.
Randy’s prior work experiences include work in sales and service of agricultural and industrial machinery as well as being self-employed in the sandblasting and painting industrial equipment.
After a long break from formal education, he earned his Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Finance at The University of Wisconsin at Whitewater in 1997.
As an Organizer and Union Representative, Randy looks forward to helping members and would-be members attain fair treatment and respect at work.He lives near Whitewater, Wisconsin and has a grown son, Ryan.
Ike Edwards - Union Representative
Ike first became a member of the UFCW when he started working for Galun Tannery in Milwaukee in 1979. He joined the staff of Local 73a as a Union Representative in 1994. He is a lifetime member of the NAACP and serves as the local union's delegate to the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists. He and his wife June have two children, Kellie, and Reina, and live in Brown Deer, WI.
Cecilia Prickett - Union Representative
Cel began her career in 1984 as an LPN and spent 20 years in long-term healthcare. In 1997 Cel contacted UFCW 73a and assisted in organizing a union at her healthcare facility. In 1998 Cel was instrumental in the election results which were 115 to 15 votes in favor of the Union, hence a union was formed!
Cel became Chief Union Steward, assisted in forming a Labor/Management Committee, and became active with Local 73a SPUR program. Cel wanted to share her experiences and help other workers in their organizing efforts and accepted the position of Union Representative in 2003. Presently Cel serves on the Executive Board of Local 1473 as Vice President. Cel and her husband are married 25 years with 3 children and 3 grandchildren.
Jim Ridderbush - Service Representative
Jim's union involvement started in the early 70's when he walked the picket line for the Green Bay Packers. His UFCW union membership started in 1986 when he began working at Packerland Packing located in Green Bay. He had worked at Packerland for only 4 months when he pursued his interest in the union movement by becoming a Union Steward. As his interest and dedication to his fellow members grew, he became the ideal candidate for Chief Steward. In addition to these duties, Jim also serves on the Executive Board for Local 1473 as Vice-President.
Jim's other achievements include the 2005 AFL-CIO Volunteer Organizer Award, Safety & Health Trainer for the UFCW International Union and Trustee for the Greater Green Bay Labor Council. He is a member of the Hispanic Advisory Council and also serves as an educator for the Collective Bargaining Classes offered to area high school students. Jim has attended classes at the University Extension, School for Workers which included Workers Compensation, Collective Bargaining, OSHA Training, Grievances and Arbitration. Jim said, "I'm excited for this opportunity to become a member of the union's staff and I look forward to being able to share my knowledge with UFCW members at other work locations."
Jim and his wife Bonnie live in Green Bay. They have two sons Shaun and Andrew. President Eiden said, "I have had the privilege of knowing and working with Jim for many years. His dedicated service to his union made him the ideal candidate for the new staff position. We welcome Jim to Local 1473..
John Rogers - Union Represenative
John's union membership started in 1974 at Sentry Foods in Milwaukee where he started as a bagger and he was eventually promoted to the position of Produce Manager. John was a union steward and bargaining committee member before being hired by Local 1444 in 1992. John has been active on many committees on behalf of his union: United Way of Greater Milwaukee Board of Directors, Jobs for Justice planning committee, First Service Credit Union Board of Directors, Delegate to the Milwaukee County Labor Council, and local union liaison for the UFCW Retirees Club.
In his personal life John also serves on the YMCA planning committee for their Mentoring Program. John graduated form Carthage College with a Bachelor of Arts degree and is the father of Justin, Jarvis, Jason and daughter Johndalyn.
Peter Singler - Union Representative
Peter began working with the union in the Spring of 2005 at People's Food Cooperative in La Crosse while studying Economics at UW-La Crosse. He began as a produce clerk and later managed the bulk foods department. Peter became involved with the union by taking a steward position and playing a key role in their bargaining committee.
In March of 2007, Peter was hired by Local 1473 and has become involved with UFCW Young Workers Program.
Chad Whiteside - Union Representative
Chad first became a member of the UFCW in 1987 when he went to work for Super Valu in Kenosha, WI. Chad served as union steward from 1990 to 1995 and during this time he volunteered for the Special Project Union Representative (S.P.U.R.) Program assisting UFCW local unions in the Chicago area during their organizing attempt of the Super Kmart Center in Vernon Hills, IL.
In 1996, he volunteered again for the SPUR program in Local 1444 and was hired full time in February 1997. Chad and his wife Kristi live in Madison, WI.
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