(JAMESTOWN) -  While There’s “Much To Be Proud Of,” Jack Rudy (Pictured Above) Tells WNYLaborToday.com of His 20 Years of Heading the Jamestown AFL-CIO Central Labor Council, What the Outgoing Labor President Will Hold Dearly is His Early Memory of Being Introduced to the Labor Movement at the Young Age of Eight – Walking a Picket Line With His Father, and the Swearing In of His Son as a Delegate to the Jamestown Labor Council, Marking the Third Generation of His Family’s Involvement in the Southern Tier Labor Community.

The 69-Year-old Rudy’s Been There For All of It Over the Years, Most Recently Helping Retool the Labor Movement in Chautauqua County with the Creation of the Chautauqua County Labor Coalition – Which Merges the Strengths of the Dunkirk and Jamestown Labor Councils, Leading the Fight to Stop the Privatization of the County Home in Dunkirk, the Battle to Stop the Closing of the NRG Power Plant in Dunkirk, and Taking on an Anti-Union Mayor in Jamestown.

“There Have Been So Many Things That Have Happened That It’s Hard to Say That One Was ‘More Important’ Than the Other,” Rudy Tells Your Regional, On-Line Labor Newspaper.  “But I Think the Magnitude of Where We’re (Now) Going as a Countywide Labor Coalition is Extremely Important.  We Got It Done Because I Was Sick and Tired of That ‘North County/South County’ Crap.”

Rudy was Introduced to the Labor Movement at the Young Age of Eight when his Father, Vaughn – Who Later Became President of the Jamestown Labor Council and Served in that Position for 10 Years in the 50s – Had Him Walk the Picket Line when Union Workers Employed at the Then-MRC Bearings Company Conducted a 252-Day Strike.  “I Remember Those Fire Barrels,” he said.

Asked What He Recalls Most, Personally, While Heading the Labor Council – Which Celebrates its 125-Year History in 2014, Rudy Answered: “This Will Blow Your Mind, but When My Son, Matt, was Sworn In as a Delegate to the Council.  He Became the Third Generation of Rudy’s in the Council.  I Was Very Proud of That.”

It was Recently Announced that International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 6 Business Manager Dave Wilkinson, Who Was Also Instrumental in Helping Create and Activate the Chautauqua County Labor Coalition, would become the New President of the Jamestown Labor Council, Which Rudy is Extremely Pleased About.

“Dave’s Got A Lot of Energy and He Brings A Lot to the Table,” Rudy Tells WNYLaborToday.com.  “And He Definitely Utilizes this New Communications Technology – Social Networking, to Get People Involved.  He’s Done an Outstanding Job With It.  And Dave Presents Himself Very Positively In the Community.  He Will Do a Fine Job.  The Council Is In Very Good Hands.”

Over the Years, Rudy’s Been Outspoken When It Comes to Commenting on the Jobs Elected Officials Do and Don’t Do, Especially When It Comes to the Economic Health of Chautauqua County. 

“We Can’t Afford to Lose Any More Jobs and That’s Why Labor’s Fight to Save the NRG Plant in Dunkirk Was So Important.  Chautauqua County Can’t Sustain Any More Job Loss and that Job Loss – Over the Years – Has Something to Do with Our Elected Officials,” Rudy said.  “We’ve Accomplished So Much in Recent Months Because Everyone’s Gotten Involved.  It’s a Combined Effort.  You Can’t Get It Done With Just a ‘President.’  You Need the Involvement and Support of Everyone.  If You Don’t Get That – Nothing Happens.”

Rudy, Who Says He “Is More Comfortable Giving Out Awards Than Receiving Them,” Has Been Honored Over the Years with a Number of Them, Most Notably the George Ritzer Memorial Labor Award - which is Yearly Bestowed on an Individual within the Jamestown Labor Movement Who Also Contributes and Volunteers Their Time to the Community.  “Labor’s is Active with the United Way, the Boys and Girls’ Club.  It’s All Good,” he said.

Rudy sees the Chautauqua County Labor Coalition Getting Stronger Over the Course of Time.  It Already Helped Save Union-Represented Jobs at the County Home in Dunkirk During the Past Two Years as the Coalition and its Council Successfully Kept the Privatization Wolf at the Door, So to Speak.  It Also Got Involved in the Political Process and Helped Elect IBEW Local 106 President Bob Whitney to the County Legislature a Couple of Years Ago.

But What the Outgoing Jamestown Labor Council President Sees as an All-Important Initiative for Labor in the Southern Tier to Take On is to “Dedicate Ourselves to Organizing” Non-Represented Workers.  And That’s Just Not in Chautauqua County.

“There is a Need for ‘All’ Working People to Be Paid a Fair and Decent Living Wage,” Rudy Tells Your Regional, On-Line Labor Newspaper.  “It’s ‘Wrong’ that Greedy SOBs are Stopping People From Making Better Wages, From Fast Food Workers to Retail Workers.  And We Need to Find ‘More’ Union People Who’ll Run for Public Office.  People Who Will ‘Truly Represent’ Working People Across Our Country, and, Its Labor Unions That Represent Working People.”

Finally, Rudy Does Not Plan to Go Into Full Retirement Mode.  He Will “Keep Connected” to the Jamestown Labor Council and the County’s Labor Movement.  “You Can’t Take the Saddle You Ridden On For So Long and Just Throw It Away,” he said.