Terence M. O'Sullivan has been General President of the Laborers' International Union of North America since January 1, 2000. He is known as an innovator among the newest generation of labor leaders dedicated to aggressive and sometimes radical approaches designed to increase the power of working people in the 21st Century.

O'Sullivan has guided the more than 800,000 members of the Laborers' Union to the forefront of the union movement, reshaping the Union into one of the most active, aggressive, and progressive affiliates within the AFL-CIO. Despite the decline in overall union membership, the Laborers' Union has shown steady and consistent growth - over the past five years, the union has added on average more than 15,000 members a year. In 2004, the Laborers' Union was the third fastest growing union in the AFL-CIO, adding 23,654 members.

Since taking office, O'Sullivan has restructured and refined the union's goals, programs, and services. O'Sullivan's philosophy for revitalizing the labor movement has become the Laborers' No. 1 priority: "to significantly increase market share in every sector of every industry in which the Laborers represents workers." Under his leadership, the Union has adopted "organize or die" as its day-to-day motto, while at the same time increasing its commitment to member activism, capital strategies, grassroots politics, labor-management cooperation, apprenticeship, training and education.

Members of the Laborers' Union work in construction, hazardous waste remediation, state and municipal government, the Postal Service, health care, maintenance and food service.

In addition to leading the Laborers' Union, O'Sullivan is Chairman and CEO of ULLICO, the union-owned company that seeks a better quality of life for working people by offering innovative insurance, investment, financial and administrative products. O'Sullivan has led ULLICO since May 8, 2003. He has guided ULLICO's return to profitability, stability and a high standard of corporate ethics and accountability. For 2004, the company reported net income of $2.0 million compared to a loss of $70.8 million in 2003 and a loss of $74.3 million in 2002.

O'Sullivan is widely known as a fiery speaker who motivates and inspires his audience to action at rallies, conventions, meetings and other events.

Before becoming General President of the Laborers, O'Sullivan served the Union as a Vice President, Mid-Atlantic Regional Manager, and Assistant to the General President.

Prior to his service with the Union, O'Sullivan was a high school teacher and coach, and founded and operated a computer software firm. Continuing his commitment to education, O'Sullivan's first job with the Union was as Administrator of the West Virginia Laborers' Training Center, at which he provided construction and environmental skills training to members of the Mid-Atlantic Region.

A proud native of San Francisco, California, he joined the Laborers' Union in 1974 and is a long-time member of Local 1353, Charleston, West Virginia.