Michele Kessler

Ms. Kessler is the secretary-treasurer of the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 1776KS and serves as division director for union membership that primarily works in food-processing and meat facilities. She is the chairperson of both the UFCW Health and Welfare Fund of Northeastern Pennsylvania and the UFCW Pension Fund of Northeastern Pennsylvania. With over 32 years on staff with the UFCW, Ms. Kessler has been involved with many aspects of negotiating, organizing and representation of union workers. She is international chair of OUTreach, the UFCW constituency group for LGBTQ+ members and allies, as well as co-president of the Pennsylvania Pride at Work chapter, the AFL-CIO constituency group for LGBTQ. She was recently appointed to the Governor’s Commission on LGBTQ Affairs in Pennsylvania. Ms. Kessler currently serves as a voting member on the International Foundation Board of Directors and is an instructor for the Trustees Masters Program (TMP). She received a master’s degree in industrial and labor relations from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and a bachelor’s degree in political science and history from Bloomsburg University. Ms. Kessler is also a graduate of the Advanced Labor Union Leadership course at Cornell University.