By Laura Tingo
Ohio AFL-CIO Field Director Jeanette Mauk congratulates Mark Johnson on winning a pistol in USA’s Partner Local Sweepstakes.
A typical day on the job for Mark Johnson is actually anything but. As Business Manager of the Tri-State Building and Construction Trades, he is responsible for advocating on behalf of 55 local unions representing 13 international unions in Ohio, Kentucky and West Virginia.
“I wear many hats,” said Mark, who worked as a superintendent for a contractor in Columbus, Ohio, before he became a union representative. “I’m almost everything to everybody.”
Mark has been a union member his entire life and was introduced to the union community at a young age. Mark’s grandfather was a coal miner in West Virginia; his great uncle was one of the original organizers who formed the United Mineworkers of America. “Union definitely means a lot for my family.”
An ‘average’ day for Mark may involve working to raise funds for a community children’s hospital or attending a Union Sportsmen’s Alliance conservation dinner to generate financial support and volunteers to support hands-on conservation projects.
“The USA is a great organization,” he said. “Not only does the USA represent me on sportsman issues but also on workplace issues.”
Mark said his union background and enjoyment of the outdoors over the years made membership in the USA a natural fit. “The construction trades are made up of a lot of sportsmen,” he said. “We have more sportsmen than we have golfers.”
In his first year of membership in the USA, Mark won a pistol in USA’s Partner Local Sweepstakes and a shotgun in its Gun-A-Week calendar giveaway – thanks to his strategy of buying up gun tickets every chance he gets.
“What they don’t sell by the end of the night, I usually buy what’s left,” he said. “It’s money well-spent.”
Mark’s generous support at USA’s Ohio State Conservation Dinner in Columbus resulted in another win – a turkey call. The next day, he headed down to Charleston, West Virginia to support another USA dinner, making it two in the same weekend.
“You can tell the interest level is there,” said Mark, noting the popularity and enjoyment among attendees throughout the weekend events. “You are definitely going to need a larger venue the next time.”
