STEVEN LAWTON
Staten Island
Summary
Labor strategist, organizer, trainer, educator, and former union president with more than 20 years of experience building worker-led organizing systems, leadership development programs, coalition campaigns, and political education initiatives. My perspective is grounded in experience across every level of the labor movement: as a rank-and-file member, elected steward, local union president, business agent, staff organizer, trainer, and educator. That trajectory gives me a unique understanding of both how to build worker power and how to build the institutions that sustain it. I understand the challenges unions face from multiple vantage points: organizing workers, developing leaders, running campaigns, managing staff, overseeing budgets and operations, governing democratic organizations, negotiating contracts, and translating strategic priorities into systems that members can own and sustain.
Overview
21
21
years of professional experience
Work History
Campaign Lead – Public Sector
CWA District 1
01.2024 - Current
- Drive organizing efforts across locals representing 35,000+ workers.
- Train worker organizers and local leaders.
- Coach leaders on campaign follow-up and accountability systems.
Labor Education Consultant
The Labor Institute
01.2023 - Current
- Designed and delivered leadership, political economy, and organizing trainings.
Adjunct Instructor
SUNY Empire State College
01.2018 - Current
- Teach trade union history and labor/public affairs.
President / Business Agent / Lead Organizer
CWA Local 1102
01.2005 - 01.2023
- Negotiated four collective bargaining agreements, securing favorable terms that strengthened workforce protections.
- Secured remote work protections for 300 workers during COVID, ensuring safety and continued employment stability.
- Led executive board of five, overseeing staff to align strategies and enhance organizational effectiveness.
Education
Master of Arts - Work and Labor Policy
SUNY Empire State College
New York, NY01-2019
Skills
- Campaign Development
- Digital Organizing
- Strategic Communications
- Labor-Climate Organizing
- Coalition Building
- Political Education
- Training System Design
- Governance & Operations
- Data Systems
- Leadership Development
Selected Campaign And Organizational Leadership
Served as President of a 600-member union, leading an executive board of five, managing union staff, administering a $350,000 budget, and overseeing organizing, bargaining, governance, compliance, representation, and internal operations., Built systems for member engagement, leadership accountability, communications, meeting structures, campaign follow-up, and workplace coverage., Support organizing efforts across four large public-sector locals representing more than 35,000 workers., Designed worker-led organizing systems focused on mapping, committee development, leadership identification, measurable participation, and accountability., Designed and facilitated trainings for thousands of members and leaders between 2018 and 2026., Built worker-led Political Action Fund programs and developed rank-and-file political action committees., Increased membership from 30% to 80% between 2009 and 2017 and secured 100% membership through union security in 2020., Combined workplace organizing, political pressure, media strategy, and corporate research., Co-organized Sustainable Staten Island., Helped organize a 350-person climate march., Organized SIUNITED2018 with 250+ participants., Helped organize a 500-person Save the Wetlands march., Completed Climate Leadership Immersion for Unions and Allies at CUNY SLU.
Timeline
Campaign Lead – Public Sector
CWA District 1
01.2024 - Current
Labor Education Consultant
The Labor Institute
01.2023 - Current
Adjunct Instructor
SUNY Empire State College
01.2018 - Current
President / Business Agent / Lead Organizer
CWA Local 1102
01.2005 - 01.2023
Master of Arts - Work and Labor Policy
SUNY Empire State College