The OPEIU Executive Board has named Allen Byron to serve as Vice President for Region II on the Executive Board. Byron is Secretary-Treasurer/Business Manager of OPEIU Local 32 in Union, New Jersey. “Allen has been a dedicated union leader for many years, and his life’s mission has been to better the lives of working families in New Jersey,” said OPEIU President Michael Goodwin. “His experience working at Local 32, defending members and negotiating higher pay and benefits, makes him the perfect person to represent the members of Region II.”

Byron was a senior computer operator at the Newark Housing Authority (NHA) in November 1979 when he was selected to serve as a member of the contract negotiating committee for the union representing the workers, SEIU Local 617. After a promotion to supervising computer operator, he joined OPEIU Local 32 and became president of the NHA Association, as well as full-time union representative and chief shop steward.

Upon his retirement from NHA in May 2005, Byron became a Local 32 business representative, and in 2006 became the secretary-treasurer/business manager. With the support of the OPEIU, he was appointed vice president of the New Jersey State AFL-CIO.

Byron is a lifelong resident of Elizabeth, New Jersey.