Kenneth Kirk serves as International Secretary-Treasurer of the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU), having been re-elected at the Union’s 61st International Convention in New York, NY, on August 21, 2025. He was first elected to the position at the ATU’s 60th Convention in Las Vegas, NV, after being appointed by International President John Costa—with approval from the ATU General Executive Board—on December 13, 2019, to complete the term of the late International Secretary-Treasurer Oscar Owens.
Kirk’s career in public transit began in 1985, when he took a job with the Dallas Transit System to support himself through college while attending East Texas State University. Shortly after joining Local 1338-Dallas, TX, he experienced an unjust disciplinary action that underscored the need for strong union representation. Determined to ensure no member faced similar treatment, he became active in his Local.
In 1990, Kirk was appointed Shop Steward at Local 1338. He was elected Vice President the following year and became President/Business Agent in 1994. Under his leadership, Local 1338 grew from 368 members to 1,500 by the time he was appointed an International Representative in 2004.
During his tenure as Local President/Business Agent, Kirk also played a significant role in the broader labor movement in Dallas, serving as both Vice President and President of the Dallas AFL-CIO. He additionally served as Vice President and President of the ATU Texas Legislative Conference Board.
In April 2004, then-International President Warren George appointed Kirk as an International Representative. Just months later, in July 2004, George appointed him as an International Vice President to complete the term of retiring IVP Charles Pettus. Kirk was elected International Vice President at the ATU’s 54th International Convention in Las Vegas, NV, in 2004 and has been re-elected to the position at every Convention since.
Kirk is a proud forty-year member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., and he further strengthened his leadership and labor expertise by completing the Harvard Trade Union Program in 2014.