We congratulate our brother and friend, Richard Lanigan, on his recent retirement as president of the Office and Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU).
During his nearly 10 years as president and 45 years of membership with OPEIU, Lanigan proved to be a dedicated champion for America’s working families.
After working his way through college as a union member, Lanigan’s journey in the labor movement began in earnest in 1980 when he joined OPEIU Local 153 in New York as an organizer, and was soon promoted to business representative. In 1987, he enrolled in law school as an evening student, and upon admission to the bar served for a time as an assistant to the OPEIU general counsel and the president.
In 1994, Lanigan became secretary-treasurer of OPEIU’s largest local, Local 153, and served as an international vice president for Region II. He proved adept at facilitating mergers; conducting hearings; assisting with affiliations, strikes, contract campaigns and grievances; and representing and negotiating on behalf of local unions.
Lanigan became OPEIU’s fifth president in December 2015, initially filling a vacancy, and was subsequently elected to the position three times.
As president, Lanigan focused on building power at the local union level to organize a new generation of working people, including workers in the technology sector. His steadfast leadership steered the union through the COVID-19 pandemic, and his advocacy was instrumental in improving the lives of all workers.
During his tenure as president, Lanigan made revitalizing local union organizing one of the union’s top priorities, including instituting an apprentice organizing program, bringing thousands of new members into more than 20 different local unions. This was accomplished while initiating new benefit plans for OPEIU and its members, including a national retirement plan that has grown to more than 1,700 participants and nearly $100 million in assets.
Lanigan served on the AFL-CIO Executive Council and was a valued member of the Committee on Legislation/Policy, the Committee on Organizing, the Committee on Capital Stewardship, and the Committee on Women Workers.
Throughout his career, Lanigan’s dedication to advance the cause of office and professional employees and his service to all of America’s trade unionists has been exemplary. He made his union and the entire labor movement stronger, and the AFL-CIO Executive Council wishes Richard Lanigan, our brother and friend, a long and happy retirement.