Justin Panos Appointed Director of the Campaigns Department, ATU Says Goodbye to Director of Field Mobilization Todd Brogan
ATU International President John Costa has named Interim Organizing Director Justin Panos to become Director of the ATU Campaigns Department, under whom all new organizing and field mobilization campaigns will now be managed. The ATU is sadly saying goodbye to our Director of Field Mobilization Todd Brogan, who has taken a position as Director of the Global Organising Academy at the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC).
“Over almost a decade, Todd has helped build the ATU into one of the most aggressive and progressive unions in the labor movement,” said International President John Costa. “Todd has been an integral part of this Union in helping to ratchet up and bolster our Field Mobilization Department to wage successful campaigns, strikes, and other actions for our Locals. He will be sorely missed, but we look forward to working with him in his new position and wish him the best of luck abroad.”
Headquartered in Brussels, Belgium, the ITUC represents more than 200 million union members worldwide, including our 200,000 members here at ATU, through the affiliation of the AFL-CIO with ITUC.
“Working at the ATU as an organizer has been the privilege and honor of a lifetime. I believe that the work that this department and our incredible staff of organizers have been charged with doing is some of the most important work in any union, but especially in this one, which has been confronted with the threats of privatization, COVID-19, austerity, and technological change,” said Brogan in reflecting on his career at the ATU. “Our big victories in those areas came because the ATU didn’t back down. It embraced a fightback program of new organizing, majority-participation campaigns, open bargaining, and strikes. I want to thank late International President Larry Hanley and International President John Costa for the opportunity to work for the ATU and fight alongside our hardworking members.”
Panos started his career as a Research Coordinator with the Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses and Allied Professionals. While there, he worked on the most successful organizing campaign in the U.S. in 2016. He then worked with the Canadian Union of Postal Workers, where he strategized with organizers around policy campaigns, new organizing targets, economic trends, and legislative changes. At the same time, he was elected by the members of the Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 3903 to become a Bargaining Team Representative.
Justin started with ATU in 2018 as a National Organizer for ATU Canada. He was then appointed Senior Organizer for the International, where he led contract fights and new organizing in Canada, helping to organize hundreds of workers into the ATU. Justin has served as Interim Director of Organizing since January after the retirement of Director of Organizing Chris Townsend.
“We welcome and congratulate Justin on his new role as Director of the Campaigns Department,” Costa continued. “As a Senior Organizer, Justin spearheaded successful campaigns across Canada. Under his leadership as Interim Organizing Director, we organized some of the largest new units in the last decade. I know Justin’s leadership style and passion for the ATU and the Locals he’s helped. I believe in his ability to mentor and lead our Campaigns Department and continue to grow our Union and wage successful campaigns for our Locals and members.”