Meet Walter Thorn
Walter F. Thorn was sworn in as the Secretary Treasurer of the Glass, Molders, Pottery, Plastics and Allied Workers International Union (AFL-CIO, CLC) on January 26, 2010.
Walter served as the Vice President of Area 1 since December 2004 when he was appointed to that office by President John Ryan.
Walter entered the trade in 1965 at Metal Powder & Chemical Works in Elizabeth, New Jersey. He was instrumental in organizing that plant in May 1976 and became a member of Local #40 in Newark, NJ.
He was elected to various offices of Local #40, serving as Treasurer, Financial Secretary and Corresponding Representative. He attended Essex County College and Rutgers University of Labor Studies. He also attended the New Jersey State Labor Internship Program and the Molders Summer Institute in Morgantown West Virginia.
Walter joined the Staff of the International Molders and Allied Workers Union in September 1985 and served in that capacity until the merger in 1988. At that time he became an International Representative for the GMP.
In January 2000, he was appointed an Executive Officer by then President James Rankin. In October 2002, he was appointed to the Office of Area Director in the Washington, DC office representing Area One. In December of 2004 he was appointed to the Office of Vice President of Area One by President John Ryan.
At the 2008 Quadrennial Convention, Walter was elected to remain the Vice President of Area One.
Walter has served as a Vice President for the New Jersey AFL-CIO chapter. He also was an advisor to the GMP New Jersey State Labor Council.