Bob Madore Elected Director of UAW Region 9A

LAS VEGAS, June 14 -- Robert "Bob" Madore, a machinist and longtime union and community activist, was elected today as Director of UAW Region 9A during the UAW's Constitutional Convention in Las Vegas. Known for his commitment to union organizing, innovative bargaining strategies and political action, Madore has been a UAW member since 1964, when he was hired as a machinist at Emhart Manufacturing in Windsor, Connecticut.

"Region 9A has a strong tradition of fighting for justice for working families, with a great leadership team and strong rank-and-file participation from our members," said Madore. "We're going to keep on fighting and keep on working to preserve and expand good union jobs in all sectors of the economy."

Madore, who was elected as President of Local 376 and to other leadership positions by his co-workers, was appointed to assistant director of Region 9A in 1989 by Phil Wheeler, who will retire from his post as Region 9A director at the union convention this week. Region 9A, with more than 50,000 members, includes Connecticut, New Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont, parts of New York and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Madore will be sworn into his new post on Thursday, June 15, along with other UAW officers.

As assistant director of 9A, Madore assisted government workers in Puerto Rico in their efforts to gain real collective bargaining rights, and worked closely with public and private sector workers seeking UAW representation. Region 9A now represents more than 18,000 workers in Puerto Rico, making it one of largest unions on the island.

"Our region includes government workers in Puerto Rico, auto technicians throughout the New York City metropolitan area, academic student employees in Massachusetts and New York, defense workers in Connecticut and Maine, and workers from all kinds of industries and occupations throughout the northeast," said Madore.

"We've all got different experiences, but we're united by a vision of strong trade unionism that includes activism in our workplaces and our communities," he continued. "The UAW has always been part of a broad social movement, and we're certainly not going to sit quietly while narrow-minded corporate executives and their conservative allies shred our jobs, wreck our environment, and trample the rights of women and minorities. We've got a positive agenda for change, and we're going to work with our progressive allies throughout the northeast to advocate for a fair economy that works for our members and for all working families."

A veteran political activist, Madore has been involved in voter registration programs and political campaigns in Connecticut. He served as chair of Local 376's Community Action Program (CAP) and the UAW Political Action Councils from 1986 to 1989; he was vice chair of both groups from 1979 to 1986. He also has been a member of the Bolton Democratic Town Committee since 1980 and has attended numerous state and national Democratic Party conventions.

Madore was born December 3, 1945 in Hartford, Conn. He graduated from East Hartford High School and attended Greater Hartford Community College where he was enrolled in the labor studies program.

Bob and his wife, Diane Daigle Madore, have two sons, Robert and Mark, and four grandchildren. The Madores live in Bolton, Conn.