Our Team

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, State Director

UnoBlessed was named the new State 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 Director 

Donny was named Political Coordinator of the Indiana AFL-CIO in February 2022, 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. 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.