Lake Forest Park man to lead Northwest labor history group

Tom Lux

Retired union and community activist Tom Lux has been elected president of the Pacific Northwest Labor History Association.

Lux was elected to the post during the association’s annual conference, which was held May 1-3 in SeaTac.

The association works to preserve the history and heritage of workers in British Columbia, Oregon and Washington. Association members are trade unionists, students, academics and others who share an interest in the history and heritage of workers in this region. 

“We believe the labor movement must know where it’s been to know where it’s going,” Lux said. “I feel that those of us who are active in the labor movement need to take a significant role in telling our own story.”

A resident of Lake Forest Park, Lux is the long-time chairman of the Labor History Committee at Machinists Union District Lodge 751 in Seattle, and he is the current treasurer for the IAM 751 Retirement Club. He also is on the board of the Aerospace Joint Apprenticeship Committee and is the chairman of the Board of Trustees at Shoreline Community College.

Lux retired in 2011 as an administrator with IAM/Boeing Joint Programs. He had worked at Boeing as machine parts inspector prior to moving to Joint Programs.

In addition to Lux, three other members of District 751 were elected to positions with the labor history association. Jason Redrup, a business representative in Everett, was elected as one of three vice presidents for the association, while Local F Recording Secretary Christine Fullerton and Auburn Work Transfer Rep Dave Swan were elected as trustees. 

Originally formed in 1935 to represent hourly workers at Boeing, District Lodge 751 of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers now represents more than 33,000 working men and women at 52 employers across Washington and California.