Gerard dedicated decades of his career to fighting for the rights of working people. In addition to 18 years as USW’s president—the longest tenure in the union’s history—he worked in the mining industry, sat on the board of several organizations, and was appointed by the Obama administration to serve on the Advanced Manufacturing Partnership Steering Committee. He started his career at age 18 in USW Local 6500 as a hard-rock miner and rose through the ranks, building his knowledge on the power of unions. He leveraged his firsthand experience to advocate for better pay, enhanced worker safety, and strengthened job security while serving in multiple high-level positions.

Gerard co-founded the BlueGreen Alliance with the Sierra Club in 2006 because he recognized the power of a coalition and the common cause between the labor and environmental movements.

Following the announcement of Gerard’s death, the BlueGreen Alliance issued a statement from Executive Director Jason Walsh:

“Leo Gerard was a true visionary who dedicated his life to the advancement of workers. It takes a special person to bring two movements together and continually prove that we as a country are stronger together than apart. He rejected the false choice between a clean environment and good jobs, building an influential force for change through the BlueGreen Alliance. 

“Leo will be deeply missed. We will honor his memory by continuing to uphold the ideals he fought for every day.”