Jeff Campbell Announcement and Bio

Dear Brothers and Sisters:

My name is Jeff Campbell, and I am International Vice President of the Southeast Section. Through the years it has been an honor to serve this organization and its members at every level, and it is my intention to continue with that servitude. I will be seeking re-election at the upcoming 35th Consolidated Convention in Las Vegas, Nevada.

I would like to share with you my 35-year boilermaker journey that has led me to the office of International Vice President. I became a member of Boilermaker Local Lodge 726 in the Industrial Sector Operations on October 18, 1991, after hiring into production at W.R. Grace, a chemical plant, in Owensboro, Kentucky on August 19, 1991. I am now a proud member of Local Lodge 727 upon the 2024 consolidation of L726.

I was elected by the membership as a Shop Steward in 1996. A position I held until 2003 when I was elected to the Collective Bargaining Committee. In 2005, I was elected to the office of Local Lodge 726 President, a position I held for nearly ten years until March 23, 2015, when I was appointed International Representative - Industrial Sector Operations to service Local Lodges in the Southeast and Great Lakes Sections. In January of 2022, I was appointed to Director of Cement Lodge Services and Assistant Director to the ISO. I held these positions until November 1, 2022, when I accepted the appointment to Executive Director - ISO. In January of 2024, I was appointed as Administrative Assistant to the International President, a position I held in conjunction with Executive Director - ISO. I held these positions until I was unanimously elected by the IEC to the office of International Vice President on August 20, 2024.

In my 19 years as a Local Lodge representative, I handled a multitude of issues in dealing with a company that did not play nice. As Shop Steward for my shift, I processed grievances and argued those in the first and second steps of the process, as well as advocating for increased safety awareness and better working conditions. My role as Collective Bargaining Committeeman included administration of the Collective Bargaining Agreement and jointly making decisions for the betterment of the membership. As Local Lodge 726 President, I handled all grievances from 3rd step and beyond, filed unfair labor practices, first chaired 3 contract negotiations, led a successful 55-day strike in 2008, and managed all internal issues.

In 2015, as a new International Representative it was the experience gained at the Local Lodge level that prepared me for the responsibility of representing numerous Local Lodges. I was assigned to represent Local Lodges throughout the Southeast and Great Lakes Sections. During that period of nearly 8 years, I first-chaired over 60 contract negotiations, presented at countless grievance meetings, filed and defended numerous unfair labor practices, successfully advocated at arbitrations against high-paid company attorneys, trained Local Lodges on financial reporting, conducted Local Lodge steward training, and most importantly I ensured my assigned Local Lodges and their memberships were serviced to the highest degree. I also graduated from the Harvard Trades Union Program in 2018.

By the time I became Executive Director of Industrial Sector Operations, I had 27 years of in-the-trenches experience. When International Representatives contacted me for assistance with contract negotiations I could provide it because I had the experience. When they needed help with grievances or arbitrations I could help because I had done it. When they came to me with a Local Lodge issue, I could provide answers because I had seen it. There is no substitute for experience and a sense of duty. I believe I bring both to the table. Also, during this time I conducted two Industrial Sector Operation Conferences in Las Vegas, Nevada and managed two years of Basic/Advanced School for Workers in Madison, Wisconsin.

I have utilized the same experience as International Vice President. My responsibility to the Southeast is to ensure the Construction Sector Operations (CSO), Industrial Sector Operations, and International Staff are guided and supported accordingly. It has always been my belief, if meaningful support is given to Local Lodge Leaders and International Staff they will succeed. Due to CSO staffing shortages, in December of 2024, I implemented a Southeast Recruiting and Training Program that accounted for 880 new applicants, including 375 new recruits that worked a total of 488,300 manhours in 2025. The Southeast now has nearly 1100 apprentices. The success of the program was only made possible by the hard work of the Southeast Business Managers, Southeast International Staff, and Southeast Area Joint Apprenticeship Committee Staff. As a compliment to the program, in August of 2025, the Southeast Business Managers, International Staff, and myself successfully renegotiated the Southeastern States Articles of Agreement with financial gains not seen in many years. Those gains have also helped staffing in the Southeast tremendously. It is now time to be proactive in meeting the organization's staffing needs. We are organizing the Southeast Section to a degree not seen in many years. As proven in 2025 with ISO organizing wins in Macon, Georgia and Birmingham, Alabama. The organizing future looks promising with multiple ongoing Southeast organizing campaigns in 2026. We must grow our organization, and I intend to put forth all efforts in recruiting and organizing to see that it happens.

As a sitting member of the IEC, it is my duty to collectively make decisions for the benefit of every member of our organization. I have and will continue to work with the IEC to ensure our organization is on firm financial footing and every member is afforded the service they so deserve. The improvements and safeguards put in place over the last 18 months are undeniable. Our organization is heading in the right direction with tremendous upside. I assure you, all decisions have and will be made in the best interests of the members of our organization.

I have recently heard the word "integrity" being tossed around. First let me define what "integrity" means to me, "integrity" means doing what's right and fighting for what's right with honor and respect. I'm not going to boast I have "integrity", because I believe "integrity" is defined by one's actions. My actions can only be judged by those that know me and/or who have worked with me. I have worked with many of you at the grievance table, bargaining table, breakout sessions at ISO Conferences, CSO Conferences, School for Workers, Local Lodge training sessions, Business Manager's training, other conferences and more. I will let you be the judge of what Jeff Campbell's actions have displayed. For those of you that I haven't met or worked with, I encourage you to find someone that has and ask them their thoughts on Jeff Campbell.

A leader has had to have walked in the boots of those he's leading. Beginning as a rank-and-file member I have walked in a pair of boots at every level. I know what it's like to be treated unfairly by an employer and have to fight every day when walking on the job site. I have never forgotten that feeling and I have held onto those memories when representing members and Local Lodges. As a 35-year boilermaker, I have not and will not forget where I came from. I commit to you, I will always put the members first, because you deserve it and you are the organization. I sincerely appreciate your consideration for support at the 35th Consolidated Convention.

Leadership is about submission to duty, not elevation to power Gordon Tootoosis