Honoring the Legacy of Ken Thiede

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Honoring the Legacy of Ken Thiede

3 October 2024

Local Lodge 1487 will be renamed in Honor of retired District President Ken Thiede.

In a moving ceremony, Local President Tony Licciardi announced that Local 1487 in Chicago will be renamed in honor of retired District President Ken Thiede. The announcement was made at a meeting of the Local 1487 Retirees Club.

“Ken was a deeply inspiring to me personally, and served this district with distinction,” said current District President, Mike Klemm, who took a moment from contract negotiations to reflect on his legacy. “While we mourn his loss, we are also thankful that we had him,” he said.

“It is my honor, and my privilege, to present this plaque in honor of Ken,” said Local President Tony Licciardi. “Ken was a mentor, a loyal unionist, and a good friend,” he said.

General Vice President Richie Johnsen paid respects to Ken in a heartfelt address to the Local. “His impact on this industry is undeniable,” he said. “Everyone who does this kind of work owes him a debt of gratitude, and profound resepct.”

Thiede played a central role in improving the pay and working conditions of airline employees. Over the course of his 65 years of union activism, Thiede helped cement the Machinists Union at the forefront of the commercial aviation industry.

Thiede was a pivotal figure within the Machinists Union and was instrumental in improving the job conditions for union members in the commercial aviation industry.

During his tenure as District President, Ken helped negotiate a series of Union contracts that directly improved the pay, working conditions, and job security for thousands of airline workers. These contracts collectively forced the entire industry to improve by igniting a de-facto bidding war between airlines in their efforts to attract new employees.

Thiede’s leadership contributed to the professionalization of these roles, turning once grueling, temporary jobs into stable, career-oriented positions, greatly benefiting airline workers across the industry. Ken was at the forefront of union contracts that saw pay rates rise by a staggering 243% from the early 1990s to the year 2000. His efforts helped ensure that full-time positions became more common, with enhanced safety standards driven by stricter regulations and upgraded equipment.

His work helped turn what had been physically demanding and unstable jobs into lasting careers.

In a moving ceremony, Local President Tony Licciardi announced that Local 1487 in Chicago will be renamed in honor of retired District President Ken Thiede. The announcement was made at a meeting of the Local 1487 Retirees Club.

The memorial observance attracted a standing-room-only gathering of retirees, current members, and Machinists Union leadership from around the nation to Chicago. Present to pay respects to Ken was Richie Johnsen, General Vice President of the Air Transport Territory, Assistant General Chairmen Joe Bartz, Mike Quartuccio, Erik Stenberg, and retired District President Rich Delaney, among others.

A raffle in his memory raised funds that were donated to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital.

President of the Retiree Committee in Chicago, Dave Roderick, honored Ken’s memory alongside his wife of 61 years. “His loss was painful to all of us,” he said. “But, we can take solace in the knowledge that his work is finally done.”

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