Julie Kelly is a professional banker and labor union activist specializing in risk management who sits on the board of Amalgamated Bank. The bank was founded by the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America union which is now part of Workers United labor union. ¹

The Bank supports left-leaning unions including the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT), the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), and the United Federation of Teachers (UFT). ² Julie Kelly was elected to the board of directors for Amalgamated Bank in 2010. ³

Union Career

Julie Kelly states that she grew up in a union-organizing family which led her to pursue the labor union sector. She started working for the Office and Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU) in Cambridge, Massachusetts after college. She ended up becoming the director of organizing before leaving the OPEIU to work for the Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Textile Employees (UNITE) (now a part of Workers United). After working with UNITE, Kelly began working with the Workers’ United New York New Jersey Joint Board and was eventually elected vice president of Workers United, a position which she still held as of February 2025. ⁴

Amalgamated Bank

Julie Kelly has been a board member of the Amalgamated Bank since 2010, but she was first involved with the Amalgamated Life Insurance Company, being elected to its board in 2009. ⁵ She is also a trustee of the Amalgamated National Health Fund, Amalgamated Retail Fund, Consolidated Retirement Fund, National Retirement Fund, and the Union Health Center. ³ Kelly sits on the board of the nonprofit Consortium for Worker Education (CWE) and works as a consultant for True North Strategies LLC. ⁵

The bank was founded by the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America union which is now part of Workers United labor union. ¹ The Bank supports left-of-center unions including the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT), the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), and the United Federation of Teachers (UFT). ² Kelly was elected to the board of directors for Amalgamated Bank in 2010. ³

1. “Unions.” Amalgamated Bank. Accessed February 17, 2025. https://www.amalgamatedbank.com/unions.
2.  “Our clients.” Amalgamated Bank. Accessed February 17, 2025. https://www.amalgamatedbank.com/clients.
3. “Julie Kelly.” Amalgamated Bank. Accessed February 17, 2025. https://www.amalgamatedbank.com/contact/julie-kelly.
4. “Our Leadership Team.” Workers United Labor Union. Accessed February 17, 2025. https://workersunited.org/who-we-ar/our-leadership-team.
5.  Kelly, Julie. “Dedicated Labor Advocate | Shaping the Future for Workers in Retail, Manufacturing, Distribution and Service Jobs.” LinkedIn. 2025. https://www.linkedin.com/in/julie-kelly-6b4a292a7/