History, Heart, and Hard Work Define USA Volunteer Jeff Gritz
From pitching in at the Union Sportsmen’s Alliance’s Northwest fundraising dinners to lending a hand at Take Kids Fishing Day in Washington State’s Tri-Cities, Jeff Gritz is the kind of leader who makes sure everyone around him is taken care of—especially veterans and kids.
“I just do it because it’s the right thing to do,” Jeff says. “Our jobs are tough, but USA events give us a chance to give back to our members, their families, and their communities.”
A Family Legacy in Labor
Jeff, a third-generation LiUNA-labor leader, has never known life without the union. His grandfather served as business manager in the 1960s and ‘70s, followed by his father from 1980 through 2004. Jeff stepped into leadership himself in 2004 and now serves as Business Manager/Secretary Treasurer of the Oregon & Southern Idaho District Council of Laborers (OSIDCL).
He is also a board member for Business Union Labor Leaders (B.U.L.L.) Session Charity, which raises money for six children’s charities serving kids across the Pacific Northwest.
Jeff’s father, who recently passed away after battling cancer, dedicated his life to the trade—working as a laborer, instructor, and mentor. Jeff carries on that heritage, along with his boys, one a LiUNA member and one who recently joined the IBEW apprenticeship program. “Labor is who we are,” Jeff says.
He first got involved with the Union Sportsmen’s Alliance (USA) more than a decade ago, attending early fundraising dinners and conservation events in Portland, Oregon, Boise, Idaho, and the Tri-Cities. From the start, he was hooked—not just by the organization’s mission, but by the atmosphere of camaraderie and shared purpose.
Jeff Gritz (R) with his Father taking a photo with their buck.
“All we do is hunt and fish,” Jeff says matter-of-factly. “That’s how we grew up. The USA was a natural way for me to combine what I love doing outdoors with engaging our members and their families. For our rural members especially, these events are a way to stay connected.”
Over the years, Jeff transitioned from being an attendee to diving headfirst into fundraising and volunteering. He helps fill tables, recruits volunteers, works logistics, and often “voluntells” his friends and colleagues to chip in and make the events a success.
“If something needs to get done, Jeff’s the guy who just makes it happen,” says USA Conservation Dinner Manager Eric Bakken. “Whether it’s sponsoring veteran tables or helping us ship equipment out of Portland, he’s 100 percent in. Seeing him show up with his dad and sons at events was always something special—three generations united not just by labor, but by service.”
One of the hallmarks of Jeff’s involvement with USA is his support for veterans. At every dinner, he ensures that a veterans’ table is present and paid for. “It’s important to me,” he says. “My dad was a veteran, and I want to make sure those men and women are recognized.” Bakken estimates that through Jeff’s efforts, more than 100 veterans have been introduced to the USA community across the Northwest.
And while Jeff downplays the recognition, his colleagues notice. “Jeff doesn’t just buy a table for veterans,” Bakken says. “He makes them feel welcome, takes the time to talk with them, and makes sure the community wraps its arms around them.”
As USA continues to expand its impact in the Northwest, Jeff helped get the ball rolling in Idaho when dinner attendance and support began to lag. Jeff’s phone calls and personal outreach helped revive the event and get it back on track.
“I’d love to lead one of these dinners someday,” Jeff said. “But the truth is, I just enjoy being part of them. Watching kids catch their first fish, seeing veterans welcomed, helping bring people together—that’s what it’s about.”
Building Communities, Bonded by the Outdoors
When he’s not volunteering at a USA event, Jeff is busy strengthening his own community in eastern Oregon. Over the years, he’s been heavily involved in 4-H and FFA projects as well as Little League, from hauling show pigs from Iowa to raising money for a lighting project and spearheading upgrades to ball fields in Hermiston, where he grew up playing. “We had one old Little League field when I played as a kid,” Jeff says. That sense of service comes from his parents and roots in Hermiston, an agricultural community where giving back was second nature.
“Growing up in an ag town, it was just what people did,” Jeff says. “You spent time helping out with things you didn’t always want to do, but you did it because that’s what community means.”
And, of course, there was the great outdoors. From hunting ducks and geese behind decoys as a kid to shooting trap with a side-by-side shotgun at just nine years old, Jeff has been hunting and fishing traditions his whole life.
It’s a passion he’s continued into adulthood and shared with friends and family, particularly longtime friend and fellow USA volunteer Travis Swayze, chairman of the USA’s Washington dinner and a volunteer leader for Take Kids Fishing Day.
“I’ve known Jeff since we were five years old,” Swayze says. “He’s a brother to me. Anytime there’s a project or event, I know he’ll be there. He’s one of those guys who will give you the shirt off his back, no questions asked.”
The two not only team up at USA functions, but they still try to find time to connect in the field—whether at elk camp, a rifle deer hunt, or bird hunting with a circle of old friends from Hermiston.
“There’s no one with a keener eye for spotting animals than Jeff,” Swayze says. “And if someone drops a deer or an elk, we all send a message around. That camaraderie, that tradition—it’s what keeps us connected.”
Ask anyone who knows Jeff, and a common theme emerges: he’s “all in.” Whether it’s supporting USA’s mission, mentoring members of LIUNA, or making sure his community gets a ballfield upgrade, Jeff Gritz is committed to carrying forward both his labor and outdoor heritage.
“I appreciate what USA does—bringing unions together, giving back to our members and their families, and making a difference in our communities,” Jeff said. “That’s why I’ll always be a part of it.”
