Washington labor leader Jackie Jeter retires

Longtime labor activist Jackie Jeter, president of the Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO, retired at the end of January after a lifelong career in the labor movement. In addition to her incredible leadership with the council, Jeter served as an elected official with the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 689 in Forestville, Maryland, for more than 25 years. She began as a shop steward for rail operations in 1994 and was elected assistant business agent, first vice president and financial secretary-treasurer before becoming president in 2007. With every new position, Jeter set a historical precedent as the first African American woman to hold those offices. Jeter also made history at the council when she became its first female president in 2016. Previously, she served on the council’s executive board from 1996 to 2002. AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka (UMWA) thanked Jeter for her service: “Throughout her career, Jackie never stopped protecting and championing the rights for working people. The labor movement has deeply benefited from her hard work and dedication, and we will miss her dearly.”
- Adapted from a report on the AFL-CIO Now blog. Photo by Bill Burke

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