(JAMESTOWN, NEW YORK) - Look around and you’ll see more and more Union Leaders and Members across Western New York, New York State and the Nation who are making the decision to run for Public Office.  Case in point: International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 106 Business Manager and Jamestown AFL-CIO Central Labor Council President David Wilkinson, who’s running for the Chautauqua County Legislature’s District 7 seat.

“I just think that I was ‘tired’ of the ‘same old status quo’ and Workers ‘not’ having a ‘voice’ (in Government),” the 54-year-old Wilkinson (Pictured Below) recently told WNYLaborToday.com in a Telephone Interview, jokingly adding that it was his wife, Kim, “who goaded me into it.”  “I think I ‘bring a lot to the table’ - ‘new ideas’ and ‘opportunities’ and I’m telling voters if they’re ‘not interested’ (in voting for a Union Member) then I’m ‘not your guy.’”

Wilkinson is one of three IBEW Local 106 Members who are running for Public Office this year in Chautauqua County, including: Union President Robert Whitney (Pictured below, who successfully ran for the County Legislature back in 2011/See WNYLaborToday.com’s July 25th, 2011 Labor News Report, Headlined: IBEW Local 106 President Robert Whitney Seeks Chautauqua County Legislative District 15 Seat/ at http://www.wnylabortoday.com/index.php?src=news&refno=2029&category=Southern%20Tier%20Councils) and is running again for the County Legislature/District 11 seat; and the Union’s Treasurer Martin Anderson, who’s running for the County Legislature/District 5 seat. 

In addition, Wayne Dorler of Civil Service Employees Association Local 897, is running for Chautauqua County Legislator/District 3 seat. 

Others across Western New York include Retired CSEA Western Region Director Roger Sherrie, who’s in Thursday’s Democratic Primary for Mayor of Lockport in Niagara County (See WNYLaborToday.com’s September 4th Labor News Report, Headlined: More And More Union Leaders & Members Are Running For Public Office, Case In Point - Retired CSEA Regional Director Roger Sherrie Seeks Lockport Mayor’s Office) and the Teamster’s William Dye, who’s running for a seat on the Niagara County Legislature.

“I’m happy ‘our’ (Labor’s) guys are running,” Wilkinson told Your On-Line Labor Newspaper.  “(More and More Union Leaders and Members) are seeing the ‘value’ of being in the Political System and who have an ‘understanding’ of (Labor’s) positions.”

Wilkinson’s been a Member of Jamestown-Headquartered IBEW Local 106 - which at last report represents 176 Inside Journeyman Wiremen, 30 Apprentice Wiremen and 15 Waste Water Treatment Workers - since December 1986. 

During that time, he’s served as a Union Steward for Local 106, an Executive Board Member (from 1991 to 1992), Vice President (1992-95), and Business Manager/Financial-Secretary (2007 to Date).  He also Serves as Local 106’s Training Director for the Joint Apprenticeship Training Committee (JATC), and Co-Chairman to the Union’s Trust Funds Committee.

On Another Front, Wilkinson is also extremely involved in the Jamestown/Chautauqua County Community.  Over the course of time, he’s held seats on several boards, including: The Chautauqua County Workforce Investment Board; Cattaraugus County Workforce Investment Board; The Southwestern New York Building & Construction Trades Council, where he’s served as its Vice President; The Jamestown Area Labor Coalition as a Delegate; The Dunkirk Area Labor Coalition as a Delegate; The Chautauqua County Labor Coalition as Chairman; The United Way of Southern Chautauqua County Board of Directors; and Chautauqua County Workers' Memorial Committee.

And he’s been recognized by both the Labor and Business Communities over the years for his efforts, including the We Are One Award by the Western New York AFL-CIO Area Labor Federation (WNYALF) for assisting and mobilizing on behalf of the Workers and Residents to save the Chautauqua County Home, as well as the entire Chautauqua Community.  

Wilkinson has also been the recipient of Jamestown’s George Ritzer Labor Award, telling WNYLaborToday.com at the time: “The ‘biggest honor,’ for me, is being ‘acknowledged’ by your Labor Peers and being added to a list of (Labor Leaders) that I’ve ‘looked up to’ over the years.  It was ‘very special’ to me.”  In his acceptance speech, Wilkinson underscored the importance of Working People across Jamestown and Chautauqua County: “Cash registers ‘don’t ring’… Meals are ‘not served’… and concrete isn’t poured ‘without’ Labor.  Our young people are ‘counting on us’ to keep the ‘American Dream’ going.”

On yet another front - Wilkinson’s herculean efforts to better the Chautauqua County Community were publicly recognized in 2014 when the Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce presented him with its Person of the Year Award for the role he played in successfully fighting to save the Dunkirk NRG Facility, which at the time, was slated for closure (See WNYLaborToday.com’s WNYLaborToday.com’s January 5th, 2014 Labor Perspective: Organized Labor’s Year-End Victory In Saving NRG Power Plant In Dunkirk Sets Positive Tone For 2014… Taking Into Consideration What Labor ‘Did’ – Led By The Chautauqua County Labor Coalition (Which Marries The Strengthen Of The Dunkirk And Jamestown AFL-CIO Labor Councils) – ‘And’ Accomplished In A Republican/Rural County Is ‘Truly Amazing’).

“It’s all about ‘taking action’ and ‘getting results,’” Wilkinson told WNYLaborToday.com during our Recent Telephone Interview.  “During the fight to save NRG, I spoke on the floor of the Chautauqua County Legislature and I’ve also spoken out against the County Industrial Development Agency’s use of Taxpayer Dollars on project that ‘don’t’ create the promised amount of jobs.  I’ve used the opportunity to ‘shoot down’ some of their appointments too.”

“But, I also have the ability to talk and ‘work with’ both sides of the aisle (Democrats and Republicans),” he continued.  “I ‘get’ what our Community ‘needs.’  I’ve been a Business Manager for a long time and I’ve been involved in making decisions for my Union’s Trusts and Benefits.  It’s time we ‘all’ started working together.”