Noel Beasley is a union activist who was the president of Workers United, a division of the Service Employees International Union, from 2011 through 2016 and is now president of the Eugene V. Debs Foundation. Prior to leading Workers United, he was director of Workers United and its predecessor unions’ Chicago and Midwest regional operations for 25 years. ¹  Beasley  joined the Textile Workers Union of America Local 1818 in 1974. After serving as a local union officer, he became a staff representative in 1977. ²

Beasley is also a member of the board of directors for the Amalgamated Foundation,³ a left-of-center organization associated with the Workers United-owned Amalgamated Bank that sponsors campaigns targeting socially conservative and pro-limited immigration organizations.

Political Contributions

Since 2007, Noel Beasley has consistently made political contributions to three organizations, the UNITE HERE Tip Campaign Committee, the Democratic National Committee, and Workers United for Political Power, a political action committee of the Service Employees International Union. ⁴

Beasley has made a total of $9,680 in FEC-reportable political contributions between 2007 and 2016. ⁵

Opposition to Iraq War

Beasley participated as a speaker in a 2003 protest against the Iraq War at United Auto Workers (UAW) Local 600 in Dearborn, Michigan. ⁶ In his speech, Beasley advocated for taking advantage of the fact that many service members come from lower-income families, and that this should be highlighted to advance the objective of unionization. Beasley urged those in attendance to remind other co-workers that according to Beasley, “this is a war that will put working men and women on the front lines to get killed” – and to kill Iraqi men and women. ⁷ The event claimed the Iraq War was a “right-wing attack on working people” and argued that “opposition to the war is not unpatriotic.” ⁸

Finances

As president of Workers United, Beasley’s salary and benefits totaled $279,752 in 2010, $321,82 in 2011, $331,184 in 2012, $342,163 in 2013, $328,027 in 2014, and $323,312 in 2015. ⁹

1. “Noel Beasley elected President of Workers United” Fiber2Fashion. May 13, 2011. Accessed December 28, 2020. Noel Beasley elected President of Workers United – Fibre2Fashion
2. “Board of Directors – Noel Beasley” amalgamated Foundation. http://amalgamatedfoundation.org/board-of-directors#:~:text=%20Board%20of%20Directors%20%201%20Noel%20Beasley.,a%20boutique%20wealth%20management%20firm%20in…%20More%20
3. “Board of Directors – Noel Beasley” amalgamated Foundation. http://amalgamatedfoundation.org/board-of-directors.
4. “Noel Beasley – Individual contributions” Federal Election Commission. https://www.fec.gov/data/receipts/individual-contributions/?contributor_name=noel%20beasley
5. “Noel Beasley – Individual contributions” Federal Election Commission. https://www.fec.gov/data/receipts/individual-contributions/?contributor_name=noel%20beasley
6. “Unions challenge Bush on war, civil liberties, economy” People’s World. February 28, 2003. Accessed December 28, 2020. https://www.peoplesworld.org/article/unions-challenge-bush-on-war-civil-liberties-economy/
7. “Unions challenge Bush on war, civil liberties, economy” People’s World. February 28, 2003. Accessed December 28, 2020. https://www.peoplesworld.org/article/unions-challenge-bush-on-war-civil-liberties-economy/
8. “Unions challenge Bush on war, civil liberties, economy” People’s World. February 28, 2003. Accessed December 28, 2020. https://www.peoplesworld.org/article/unions-challenge-bush-on-war-civil-liberties-economy/
9. “Noel Beasley – Workers United” UnionFacts. https://www.unionfacts.com/local/employee/511518/WU/0/NOEL/BEASLEY/