Dorothy James is District 7 National Vice President of the American Federation of Government Employees, representing federal employees in Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin.
NVP James began her federal career as a member in the U.S. Army Tank Automotive Command in Warren, Michigan, where she became the AFGE Local 1658 president. She held that position for 12 years. She began a second career with AFGE and is on her 22nd year -- eight years as a national representative and 14 years as an NVP. She served 3 consecutive terms as District 7 National Women Coordinator. She was also elected president of the Southern African Committee and Michigan Coalition of Human Rights.
As NVP for District 7, she serves as Chair of the Education Committee, and is a member of the National’s Organizing Committee, Legal Rights Committee, International Affairs Committee and Communications Committee.
She was an executive board member for various organizations like the Michigan State AFL-CIO and Detroit Metropolitan AFL-CIO, the Detroit Chapter of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists, the Detroit Chapter of the A. Phillip Randolph Institute, and the Illinois State AFL-CIO Delegate member for the Chicago Federation of Labor.
She also serves as an executive board member of the Illinois State AFL-CIO and as a delegate to the Chicago Federation of Labor AFL-CIO.
NVP James is the proud recipient of numerous awards honoring her commitment to the labor movement, such as: Who’s Who is Federal Government Award; United Way Community Award in Detroit, MI; Woman of the Year for the Chicago Chapter of the Coalition of Labor Union Women; Woman of the Year for the Chicago Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO, 2010; Labor Leader of the Year for the National Action Network; Woman of the Year for the National Association of Professional Women.
NVP James is from Detroit, Michigan, and graduated from Wayne State University.