IN THE COUNTY LEGISLATURE OF JACKSON COUNTY, MISSOURI
Title
A RESOLUTION congratulating Reginald L. Thomas on his retirement from LIUNA Local 264.
Intro
RESOLUTION NO. 21905, April 21, 2025
INTRODUCED BY Jalen Anderson, County Legislator
Body
WHEREAS, Reginald Thomas began his Union career when he joined Labors International Union of North America Local Union No.265 in May 1996, as an employee of J.E. Dunn Construction Company; and,
WHEREAS, In 1998 he was appointed as Laborer Foreman/Crew Supervisor; and,
WHEREAS, In 1999 Mr. Thomas was appointed to Secretary/Treasurer of Construction and General Laborers’ Local Union No. 264, serving in this capacity, along with the positions of Assistant Business Manager and Field Representative until February 2010; and,
WHEREAS, Mr. Thomas was then appointed to the position of President and Business
Manager and had held this position for the local for over 15 years, in addition to his role
as President and Business Manager, he was appointed as Special International
Representative for LIUNA; and,
WHEREAS, Mr. Thomas served as President of the Western Missouri and Kansas Laborers District Council, Secretary of the Greater Kansas City Laborers Health and Welfare Fund, The Construction Industry Substance Abuse Program (CISAP), and the Greater Kansas City Laborers Vacation Fund; and,
WHEREAS, Mr. Thomas also served as Chairman of the Greater Kansas City Laborers Pension Fund and the Greater Kansas City Training Fund; and,
WHEREAS, Mr. Thomas served on the Executive Board of LIUNA African American Caucus and as President of the Western Missouri and Kansas Laborers District Council, and Trustee of the Joint Apprenticeship Program as well as serving as Secretary/Treasurer for the Greater Kansas City AFL-CIO, Vice President of the Missouri AFL-CIO, Sergeant at Arms to the Greater Kansas City Building and Construction Trades Council, and was Chairman of Working Families’ Friends, a Community/Labor Assistance Program; and,
WHEREAS, Mr. Thomas was a board member of the Federal Reserve Bank of the Kansas City-Community Development Advisory Council, a Board member for Building Hope for Autism Foundation (BHFAF), and on the Board of Directors for Builders Construction Building Corporation (BCBC) and he was also appointed by former Mayor Sylvester (Sly) James to serve on the Airport Aviation Board and T.I.F.F. Commission; and,
WHEREAS, in 2016, Mr. Thomas was awarded the Lillian L. McKittrick Labor Advocacy Award from the NAACP, in recognition of his dedicated and unrelenting service to the Labor Movement; and,
WHEREAS, on July 26th, 2019, Mr. Thomas received the Labor's Representative of the Year Award from LEPCI (Labor's Educational & Political Club Independent), for his exemplary leadership and loyal dedication to organized labor and to his membership; and,
WHEREAS, Mr. Thomas retired as President and Business Manager on February 28, 2025; and,
WHEREAS, on April 9th, 2025, Mr. Thomas was the subject of an impressive article written in LIUNA Local 264’s newsletter detailing the accomplishments above from which we obtained this plethora of achievements and in which they wrote, “His many years of experience and knowledge will remain with his fellow colleagues, as his vision was a guide to the future of the construction industry”; and,
WHEREAS, Countless lives were touched by Mr. Thomas’s dedication not only to his Union, but his devotion to all those he interacted with in his long service to our community; now therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the County Legislature of Jackson County, Missouri, that the Legislature hereby acknowledges his dedication to Labor, a career of great success and
congratulates him on his retirement.
Enacted and Approved
Effective Date: This Resolution shall be effective immediately upon its passage by a majority of the Legislature.
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
______________________________
County Counselor
Certificate of Passage
I hereby certify that the attached resolution, Resolution No. 21905 of April 21, 2025, was duly passed on April 21, 2025 by the Jackson County Legislature. The votes thereon were as follows:
Yeas ______9___________ Nays ____0_______
Abstaining _____0______ Absent ____0________
______________________ ______________________________
Date Mary Jo Spino, Clerk of Legislature