Bio

James A. Williams, Jr. currently serves as the General President of the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT). He is a fourth-generation glazier from District Council 21/Local Union 252 (Philadelphia, PA). President Williams began his career with the IUPAT in 1998, was appointed Assistant to the General President in 2002, and served as the Regional Organizing Coordinator for the IUPAT Eastern Region. In 2011, he was appointed to the position of Organizing Director and remained in that role after being elected as General Vice President At Large in 2014.

President Williams’ vision for the IUPAT is as a union where workers of all races, genders, homelands, and economic backgrounds can come together to support one another and fight for the well-being of themselves, their coworkers, and their communities. President Williams is Co-Chair of the U.S. Industry Pension Fund, Labor Management Cooperation Initiative, and International Finishing Trades Institute. In addition, he is a member of the North America’s Building Trades Unions Governing Board of Presidents and a member of the Executive Council and the General Board of the AFL-CIO.