Mark Federici
The United Food and Commercial Workers Local 400 Executive Board today elected Mark P. Federici president and Lavoris “Mikki” Harris secretary-treasurer of their 35,000-member union.
Federici, who had served as Local 400 secretary-treasurer since 2010, succeeds Tom McNutt, who resigned in December.
“I am deeply humbled to have the privilege of serving my fellow members as their president,” Federici said. “Together, we will keep on fighting for their rights, their living standards, their security, and their well-being with everything we’ve got.
“We are hitting the ground running at full speed, as vitally important bargaining with our largest employers takes place later this year,” Federici said. “I am confident that with our member activists leading the way, we will break new ground in increasing our membership, strengthening our clout, and improving the lives of our members.”
“Serving our members has been my calling for the past three decades as a Local 400 officer and activist, and I couldn’t be more honored to be elected to continue this mission as secretary-treasurer,” Harris said. “We’ve got an outstanding team of leaders, staff and member activists, and together, we are going to achieve great things.”
Lavoris "Mikki" Harris
Federici joined the UFCW in 1984 when he began working as a produce clerk and night crew staffer for Riverside Markets in Du Bois, Pa. He later served internships with National Hospital Workers Union District 1199P and the International Association of Machinists. In 1987, he was hired as a field representative for the Seafarers International Union of North America. Four years later, he joined Local 400, where he served as an organizer, representative, director of governmental affairs, director of strategic programs, and executive assistant to the president prior to his election as secretary-treasurer.
Over an 18-year career at Local 400, Harris has served as a representative, civil rights and community coordinator, director of the Member Action Department, and most recently as director of the Strategic Contract Campaign Department. She is a longtime Local 400 member, starting in 1977 when she went to work at as a cashier at Grand Union. In 1985, she became a produce clerk for Kroger in Danville, Va., and then became a produce manager at Eddie’s Supermarket. In 1987, Harris became a computer specialist at Dan River, Inc., where she remained until joining the Local 400 staff in 1995.
UFCW Local 400 represents 35,000 members working in the retail food, health care, retail department store, food processing, service and other industries in Maryland, Virginia, Washington, D.C., West Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee.