At the State Federation’s Biennial Convention in the fall of 2022 Tim Burga was unanimously re-elected to the office of President, a seat he has held since January 2011. The Ohio AFL-CIO represents over 1 million union workers and retirees from 40 international unions in the public, private and federal sectors of employment. Tim is a third-generation member of the United Steelworkers and grandson of union coalminer. 

Tim also serves as the Vice Chairman of “We Are Ohio,” the non-profit organization designed to promote issues of social, civic, and economic justice.  Tim is also President of the Central Region State Officers of the AFL-CIO. 

Tim began his work with the Ohio AFL-CIO as Legislative Director in 2002. During his tenure with the state federation, Tim led a coalition in a successful effort to place on the ballot and pass State Issue 2 as a Constitutional Amendment to raise Ohio’s minimum wage and index it annually with the cost of living. Tim also managed a successful legislative campaign to develop and pass legislation which created Ohio’s Best Rx – a prescription drug discount program that is providing deep discounts to seniors and underinsured Ohioans on their prescription drugs.

As President, Tim oversaw the federation’s statewide campaign to place a referendum on the ballot to overturn Senate Bill 5, and the election to defeat Issue 2 to preserve collective bargaining rights for Ohio’s public employees.

Tim represents organized labor on the State of Ohio Industrial Commission Nominating Council, Industrial Commission Rules Committee, Bureau of Workers Compensation Nominating Council, AFL-CIO State Federation Advisory Council, the AFL-CIO Appalachian Council, and the Federal Reserve Bank’s Business Advisory Group.

Prior to his work at the federation, Tim worked for the City of Marion, Ohio where he assisted in a successful effort to organize city workers to be represented by the United Steelworkers.  Tim went on to become President of Steelworkers local union 7856. After working for the City of Marion, Tim spent nine years on Capital Hill lobbying on workforce education and training policy.

Tim holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Ohio Wesleyan University where he graduated Cum Laude from the Arneson Institute of Applied Politics and was the recipient of the James J. Hearn Award for Public Service.

Tim currently resides in Westerville with his wife Myrna and his son Roberto who recently graduated from Ohio University in Athens.

Melissa Cropper - Ohio AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer

Melissa Cropper is Secretary-Treasurer of the Ohio AFL-CIO and the president of the Ohio Federation of Teachers (OFT), which represents 20,000 members in 55 locals across the state, including public school educators and support staff, higher education faculty and support staff, and public employees.

Cropper was previously a library media specialist in Georgetown, Ohio and president of the Georgetown Federation of Teachers, a member of the OFT executive committee and chair of the federation’s retirement committee before being elected state federation president in 2012.