Please Welcome Our New Maine AFL-CIO Office Manager Crystal Lancaster

We are pleased to announce that Crystal Lancaster has joined the Maine AFL-CIO team as our new office manager! Crystal comes from four generations of Maine union members and has a solid background in the labor movement, organizational administration and drag racing! Below is a letter she wrote to introduce herself.

Hello to my Brothers & Sisters far and near,

I hope this message finds you well! My name is Crystal Lancaster and I am a fourth-generation union member and labor activist, and am incredibly proud to announce that I’ve joined the Maine AFL-CIO as its Office Manager! I’d like to congratulate Chris Greenleaf on her well-earned upcoming retirement (April 21) and thank her for her trust in passing this position down to me (we miss you already, Chris)!

Beginning with my Great Grandfather Knapp, who was a proud member of the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) in New York City, my family has been proud to advocate for social and economic justice for over one hundred years combined. My grandfather, Leo Lancaster, proudly made beneficial contributions during his 55 years as a member of the IBEW Local 1253, and inspired his sons and daughters to keep this important work continuing throughout generations.

Dana Lancaster, who is not only dad but my biggest inspiration and my best friend in the entire world, proudly represented IAM 559 as their President at Madison Paper for 17 years. He’s been an active member of IBEW 1253 for 38 years, IBEW 1837 for 16 years and the Teamsters Union 150 for 2 years. Some of you may also remember when he was an Apprenticeship Instructor at IBEW 1253 as well! Dana’s brother Steve dedicated 40 years to the IBEW Local 1253 after he retired from the U.S. Army and last but certainly not least, my Aunt Marie Lancaster molded me into the proud feminist I am today while she worked under the United Steelworkers for 28 years, along with my Aunt Michele Lancaster who spent 16 years in the IBEW Local 1253.

Born and raised in Maine, I grew up in Mount Vernon and graduated from Maranacook Community High School in 2010. I went on to receive my Masters in Business Administration from Southern New Hampshire University in 2018, and have been working in private administration for over ten years. When I’m not at the office, I’m either logged into Southern New Hampshire University’s Global Campus to teach Introduction to Information Technology, am at Oxford & Winterport Dragways or am working on restoring American-made classic cars with my dad!

I’m incredibly proud to continue representing the interests of Maine’s working people, and I look forward to serving our federation as your office manager. If you plan to attend Maine’s Labor Lobby Day, look for the bright blue blazer and please don’t be a stranger! 
 

In Solidarity,
Crystal Lancaster, MBA