Focus: Organizing

Secretary-Treasurer John Cakmakci began working for Kroger in 1977, but when they pulled out of west Michigan later that year, he went to work for Jewel Food Stores where he was elected Union Steward in 1979. In 1981, he was elected to the executive board of UFCW Local 36 in Kalamazoo, which later merged with Local 951.

After completing his undergraduate and graduate degrees, UFCW 951 hired him as a union representative and organizer. By 1989, he was promoted to director of collective bargaining where he created and implemented several improvements to the collective bargaining process we still use today.

He was promoted to executive director of collective bargaining in 1994, which at the time included strategic programs. In January of 2000, he was promoted to the statewide office of executive vice president, and was re-elected by the membership in 2004 and 2007.

At the April 2010 executive board meeting Cakmakci was nominated and approved to become secretary-treasurer of UFCW 951. He has been a union member for over 33 years, and has served on the UFCW 951 Executive Board for over 28 years.

In addition to serving as secretary-treasurer, he is also involved in collective bargaining, services select Meijer units in southwest Michigan and serves as the director of organizing.  

"In order to grow our union, we need effective organizing program that delivers the message that fair and just workplace should be available to every one." Cakmakci said. "A union contract provides every worker with those basic rights."

Cakmakci is also a community activist and participates with surrounding groups such as Kalamazoo County United Way, Michigan Citizen's Active Coalition, West Michigan Industrial Relations Research Association, South Central Labor Council, serves as a board member to the Salvation Army, the Michigan Citizens Active Coalition and the Health Alliance Plan and acts as a trustee on the Michigan UFCW Unions and Employers Health and Welfare Fund.