Longtime District Reps, friends announce retirements

By Evan Henerson

Shortly after District 4 Business Agent Marc Greenfield announced that he would retire on August 1, District 5 Business Agent Mitch Klein decided he too would “pull the pin” and leave Local 11 one month later on September 1.

While the timing of the two retirement announcements had nothing to do with numbers, the decisions by Greenfield and Klein made a certain sense. The two Local 11 members and business agents – each with more than 45 years of membership and 25 plus years working for their union – are also longtime friends.

“I’d been thinking about it for a while, and as soon as my wife found out Marc was going to pull the pin, she said, ‘That’s it. You’re done,’” Klein said. “Marc and I have been talking about it for some time and we’ve always had it in the back of our minds that we don’t want to stay in this trade until we drop dead or something bad happens. It just came time.”

“I enjoyed the work being a business agent for over 25 years, but it’s just time,” echoed Greenfield. “I had picked a day – August 1 – and said I was done. Then Mitch was hemming and hawing and finally a couple weeks ago, he said, ‘September 1, I’m gone.’ I said, ‘very good.’ We can’t get away from each other.”

Klein and Greenfields’ fathers – both named Arnold – were friends as well as electricians, and the families socialized before their sons were born. Mitch Klein worked in the trade a year before he “came off the street” and entered the apprenticeship program. He has been a business rep since 1993. Klein has been a member of the Local 11 Examining Board and Greenfield has served three terms for the Local 11 Executive Board.

Working together for many years on behalf of the local, the two friends resolved to help Robert Corona in his bid to be elected Local 11’s business manager in June. That accomplished, and with their replacements at the ready (Brett Moss will succeed Greenfield in District 4; Beto Gonzales will take over District 5); Greenfield and Klein say they are ready to chart out their next act.

For both men, that will include travel and spending time with friends and family. Greenfield plans to take an RV out to Tennessee near his son and grandchildren and establish a second home out in the area. Klein also hopes to take to the road and “see America.”

“I’ve got a lot of honey-dos to do at home, a lot of stuff I have to fix up in the house, a lot of stuff I’m thinking of,” Klein said. “My daughter recently had a daughter of her own and I want to spend some time with my granddaughter. Stuff like that. Play golf, relax.”

Greenfield and Klein both say they will miss the interaction with members, the camaraderie they shared with fellow electricians on and off the jobsite, and the opportunities to offer wisdom.

“You work hard at the job, but we always had a good time, too,” Greenfield said. “I enjoyed helping out the membership and giving them good advice on jobs. That was a key to my success.”

Even in retirement, the two long-time friends say they plan to attend Local 11 meetings from time to time and show up at the occasional district welfare committee event. One thing that doesn’t figure to change any time soon will be connecting with Local 11 members who approach the longtime reps with a story about how being a member of the union changed their lives for the better.

Klein can relate to their gratitude.

“Being in the union, I was able to be a homeowner and raise a family,” Klein said. “I was able to live the American dream.”