Black History Month Profiles: Wynn Thomas

For Black History Month, we're taking a look at a group of leaders who are currently actively making Black history across the labor movement. Check back daily for a new profile and meet some of the people working to improve not only their community, but also to improve conditions for working people across the country. Today's profile is Wynn Thomas of the Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE).

Wynn Thomas has been working in the film industry for over 40 years and in IATSE since 1981. He says being an IATSE member has been inspiring and allowed him to work with the most talented artists and craftspeople in the industry. Thomas has worked to train young men and women from different communities so that they too can become union members. “I believe that part of my responsibility is to train the next generation.”

Kenneth Quinnell Mon, 02/23/2026 - 10:16

Tags: Black History Month

Get to Know AFL-CIO's Affiliates: School Administrators

This is the next post in our series that will take a deeper look at each of our affiliates. The series will run weekly until we've covered all 64 of our affiliates. Next up is the School Administrators (AFSA).

Name of Union: American Federation of School Administrators

Mission: To champion student success by empowering school leaders to speak up, lead with integrity and advocate for the professional, legal and economic rights they need to create safe, equitable and high-quality public schools for every student.

Current Leadership of Union: Mark Cannizzaro serves as president of AFSA. With more than 38 years in public education, Cannizzaro has been a dedicated advocate for strong public schools, effective school leadership and the students and communities whom schools serve. Cannizzaro began his career as a physical education teacher and progressed through key leadership roles as an assistant principal and principal. He taught and served as assistant principal at Totten Intermediate School 34 before leading Frank D. Paulo Intermediate School IS 75 as principal. From 2003 to 2012, his leadership at Paulo fostered a culture of academic excellence, collaboration and shared responsibility. A respected and nationally recognized voice in education, Cannizzaro has long been active in union leadership. He held multiple roles within the Council of School Supervisors and Administrators, AFSA Local 1, including secretary, executive vice president and president, the latter of which he held for more than five years.

Donis Coronel serves as executive vice president, and Karl E. Perry serves as secretary-treasurer. AFSA’s leadership team also includes the following 16 general vice presidents: Clarence Allen, Kia Banks, Jody Covington, Moira Coogan, Victor Cristofaro, Carey Cunningham, Fran DiFiore, Carver Farrow, Brian Galbraith, Christine Handy, Diane Hauser, Richard Jackson, Luis Orengo, Elda Perez-Mejia, Henry Rubio and Caroline Satoda.

Current Number of Members: 25,000

Members Work as: School leaders, including principals; assistant principals; directors of student services, student activities, food service and transportation; and administrators and supervisors who manage the day-to-day operations and academics of schools.

Industries Represented: Public schools in the United States

History: July 2026 marks the 50th anniversary of AFSA. However, AFSA’s roots go back to 1962, when the Council of Supervisory Associations (CSA) was formed in New York City to fight for collective bargaining rights for school supervisors. By 1968, the CSA formally became a union and adopted the name Council of School Supervisors and Administrators, representing principals, assistant principals, directors, supervisors and other school leaders and advocating for fair pay, benefits and professional recognition. In 1971, the CSA, along with four other local unions in Washington, D.C.; Chicago; San Francisco; and Providence, Rhode Island, were granted a charter by then AFL-CIO President George Meany, formally establishing the School Administrators and Supervisors Organizing Committee (SASOC). The SASOC became a national organization dedicated to giving school leaders across the country a unified voice in education and labor matters. By 1976, the SASOC had grown to include 47 local unions nationwide and petitioned the AFL-CIO for full national union status. On July 7–8, 1976, delegates convened for the SASOC’s first constitutional convention and adopted a constitution, elected a general executive board and officially renamed the organization the School Administrators. At that time, then AFL-CIO President Lane Kirkland granted the union a national charter, solidifying AFSA’s status as a national AFL-CIO affiliate.

Current Campaigns/Community Efforts: Since the COVID-19 pandemic, AFSA has focused on organizing the unorganized and affiliating independent unions to create a stronger national voice for school leaders. This effort has been highly successful, bringing in thousands of new members, including leaders from some of the nation’s largest school districts. On the community side, the School Leadership Forum supports principals and other school leaders by providing research, resources and training needed to improve learning environments in classrooms across the country. The forum also funds the Diann Woodard AFSA Scholarship Program, which provides scholarships to children of AFSA members. In addition, the AFSA Political Action Committee gives members a political voice on education issues, ensuring that school leaders can influence policies that affect their schools, staff and students.

Learn More: website, Facebook, X

Kenneth Quinnell Mon, 02/23/2026 - 14:38