Indiana State AFL-CIO Officers
Brett Voorhies, President
President Brett Voorhies was born and raised in Speedway, Indiana. Voorhies started on the shop floor at Rexnord/Link Belt in Indianapolis as a proud member of the United Steelworkers (USW). As a rank and file member, he served as a union steward, member for both the safety and legislative committees, and as Editor of his local union newsletter. His proven leadership qualities led him to a staff position as the Legislative and Political Coordinator for Indiana and Illinois for USW, District 7, which he held for over 10 years. Voorhies was elected President of the Central Indiana Labor Council in 2011. In December of 2013, he was elected President of the Indiana AFL-CIO at its 28th Biennial State Convention and is now serving his third term as our State Federation President. President Voorhies enjoys music, racing, riding his Harley and spending time with his family. During his leadership as President of the Indiana State AFL-CIO, the federation has gained substantial financial stability, increased participation and affiliation and launched a powerful labor candidate program to recruit, train and elect union members to political office. President Voorhies currently serves on the Wayne Township Merit Board, Anthem Labor Advisory Board, Indianapolis Airport Authority Board and the National AFL-CIO Advisory Council.
Shawn Christ, Secretary Treasurer
Shawn currently serves as the Secretary Treasurer of the Indiana State AFL-CIO for his second term. Formerly, he served as the President of the Hoosier Heartland Area Labor Federation and as President of the Central Indiana AFL-CIO. He served on the Examining Board and as Business Representative/Political Director for IBEW 481 from 2010 to 2016. Shawn organized Indy LaborFest and is a board member of Kids' Chance of Indiana, an organization dedicated to providing scholarships to the children of fallen workers. He lives in Avon with his wife Stephanie and their new puppy Lucy.
Indiana State AFL-CIO Staff
We are proud to have expanded and built our staff team to better support and serve our affiliates and the broader labor movement in Indiana. We look forward to the work ahead and are proud to announce the staff has been fully recognized as a collective bargaining unit with UAW Local 933 this year!
UnoBlessed, Executive Director
UnoBlessed was named the new Executive Director of the Indiana AFL-CIO in February 2021 after serving five years as the organization’s Deputy Director. Before stepping into the role, Uno served as an organizer in Central Indiana and Field Director for the Labor 2016 member-to- member program. Uno served two years as an Americorps member in SE Washington, DC before completing her Urban Studies degree from Butler University. After graduation, she worked as a non-profit recruiter and community organizer in the Washington, DC area focusing on strategic partnerships in the Mid Atlantic before moving to do the same in Chicago. In 2016, her love and commitment to her family and her community drove her home to organize working Hoosiers with the AFL-CIO. With her background in organizing, the federation has developed an internal organizing training academy with the support of the National AFL-CIO Organizing Institute. She also leads an organizing-inspired political program that is centered on issue-based conversations. Uno is passionate about organizing and workers rights and building an inclusive labor movement in Indiana and across the country.
Donny Jones, Political Coordinator
Donny was named Political Coordinator of the Indiana AFL-CIO in February 2021, having retired from General Motors as a third-generation skilled trades UAW member of 32 years. He served as a UAW chairperson over several local union committees and was elected Secretary of UAW Local 23 and President of UAW Local 977. During his tenure at the UAW, Donny earned a Bachelor of Arts in History from IUPUI and was honored with the Highest Achievement in History by the School of Liberal Arts. He went on to Butler University and holds a Master of Arts in Labor History. Donny also serves as a member of the Marion County Board of Wrecking Examiners as a mayoral appointee. He is an adjunct professor at IU with the Department of Labor Studies and teaches L-203 Labor and the Political System. In 2023, he was elected as Bargaining Chair of the staff union of the Indiana AFL-CIO which is affiliated with UAW Local 933 in Indianapolis. Donny is married to Democratic City-County Councilor Kristin Jones and has two grown children that reside in Indianapolis and Washington D.C.
Mireya Cruz, Office Administrator
Mireya started with the Indiana AFL-CIO in February 2022, with it being her first Union job. Mireya is originally from Michoacan, Mexico but was raised in Indianapolis, Indiana. Prior to working with the Indiana AFL-CIO Mireya worked at Christel House Academy High School as the administrative and bilingual assistant. She studied at Ivy Tech Community College and received her associates degree in human services. Since Mireya started working with the Indiana AFL-CIO she has learned about local unions, labor history, union organizing, and union power across the state and nationwide. She is now a proud UAW member. Mireya is excited to continue her personal growth here at the Indiana AFL-CIO, fight for Hoosier workers’ rights, and to keep learning. In her free time she loves to spend time with her family, working out, and playing volleyball.
Mat Davis, Statewide Organizer
Mat started with the Indiana AFL-CIO as the Federation’s first statewide organizer in January of 2023. He has committed fourteen years to the labor movement across Indiana in different capacities. Mat worked for several years through UniteHERE, as an activist, shop steward, and delegate to the AFL-CIO Central Chapter and Hoosier Heartland Area Labor Federation bodies. Throughout his work in labor, he has prioritized opportunities to further the internal education efforts for members about their workplace rights and fundamentals of union organizing. Mat was also a proud member and safety steward for Teamsters 135 through UPS for two years. Before coming on staff at the State Federation, he supported the AFL-CIO Path to Power program since its inception in 2019 mainly through phone banking and canvassing. Mat also reactivated the Indy chapter of A.Philip Randolph Institute and other constituency groups that support diversity in the labor movement. Mat has established the leading statewide Organizing Institute in the country which has developed more curriculum and services than any other federation to date. Outside of work, he enjoys broader community organizing, local arts and farming.
Spencer Garnier, Digital Organizer
Spencer started as the Indiana AFL-CIO’s Digital Organizer in January of 2023. He is a lifelong resident of Indianapolis, having grown up on the Eastside, and is a proud product of Warren Township public schools. Before joining the AFL-CIO, Spencer spent three years working on constituent work and policy for the Indianapolis City-Council, as a Constituent Services Liaison. Prior to his time in government, Spencer worked on numerous political campaigns, including as an organizer for the historically successful 2019 Indianapolis Democrat Municipal Coordinated Campaign. He has also held roles as campaign manager, political director, and field director on three different Indiana State Senate races. He earned a degree in political science from Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, with a minor in policy studies. After years of working for labor-backed political candidates, Spencer realized his greatest passion was fighting for the workers in the movement directly, and sought out a position at the AFL-CIO. He is a member of the UAW through the IN AFL-CIO Staff Union. In his spare time, he enjoys playing board games, watching Pacers basketball, and cooking for friends and family.