Anthony Guida took over as president of the Italian American Labor Council of Greater Chicago in January 2015. A member since 2007 and a director since 2008, Guida was drawn to the organization by what it represents and accomplishes, and the sense of family and charity that the organization fosters.
“Our mission is to help Italian Americans succeed in labor and I feel that we do that,” he says. “It’s a great group of people who have a good time when we get together, and we enjoy helping other people like De Paul’s Labor Education Center, City of Hope and Casa Italia.”
The IALC consists of rank-and-file members led by 30 directors who are officers of different unions. Guida is a business representative, organizer and president of Carpenters Local 1 and a delegate to the Chicago Federation of Labor.
His main goal as president is to expand the organization’s reach. “We need to become better-known in the mainstream so we can help educate and organize the unrepresented workers,” he says.
Guida and his wife of 28 years, Silvana, live with their children — Nancy, Dominic and Johnny — in Norwood Park Township.