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Former BM Ken Sagar Elected President
of Iowa AFL-CIO

February 11, 2008

Ken Sagar, former business manager of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Local 204, has been elected president of the Iowa AFL-CIO.

Sagar, who has served as the Iowa AFL-CIO secretary-treasurer since 1997, began his IBEW career working for Iowa Electric Light and Power Co. (now Alliant Energy).  After serving as a steward and on several committees, he was appointed business manager in 1985 and elected the same year, serving for 13 years.

“I hope to organize the unorganized and to make the labor movement a more effective voice,” says Sagar.  He hopes to inspire more trade unionists to run for city council and other municipal offices.  Those positions are “farm clubs,” he says, “for promoting our own members to become state legislators,” increasing labor’s influence.

“Ken has done a phenomenal job as secretary-treasurer,” says Sandy Opstvedt, assistant business manager of Des Moines Local 55, who serves as 4th District vice president of the Iowa AFL-CIO. “Ken carries a lot of respect into his new office and will bring about very positive and progressive changes.”

Sagar replaces Mark L. Smith, who served Iowa’s labor movement for over 28 years as secretary-treasurer and president. 
Sagar currently serves as treasurer of the Iowa Democratic Party and is a member of the Workforce Development Board. A member of the Labor Advisory Committee of the University of Iowa Labor Center, he is also on the board of the John L. Lewis Museum.