By Katharine Gilbert
There is an old saying…if you want something done right ask a busy person. Our hunch – Mr. Eiding must be swamped with requests as he is, by any measure, one of the most actively involved leaders in Philadelphia. There is no local community organization, charity, or cause unknown to Patrick J. Eiding.
When we heard the Delaware Valley Irish Hall of Fame is honoring Mr. Eiding, we hoped to catch him, for a few minutes in his packed schedule, to extend our heartfelt congratulations and ask a few questions:
Patrick J. Eiding is currently serving his 5th term as President of the Philadelphia Council AFL-CIO representing over 100 local unions in the Philadelphia area.
Prior to first being elected President of the Council in January 2002, Eiding served for 25 years as Business Manager and Financial Secretary of the Insulators and Asbestos Workers Local 14 covering Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey where he was a member since 1963.
Eiding has risen through the ranks of leadership throughout his career and currently serves as Secretary-Treasurer of the Philadelphia Building Trades Council; as a member of the Executive Council of Pennsylvania AFL-CIO and in the General Board if the National AFL-CIO representing Central Labor Councils in the Northeast.
Eiding also represents the interests of working families by serving as an active member of numerous boards and commissions including Philadelphia Area Labor Management Committee (PALM) the United WY of Southeastern Pennsylvania (UWSEPA), National Multiple Sclerosis Society (NMSS) the Urban Affairs Coalition and the National Association of Workforce Boards (NAWB). He also sits as a Commissioner on the Philadelphia City Planning Commission and was appointed to the newly created Philadelphia Works, Inc.
1. Growing up were you aware of your Irish heritage and if so how and why?
Yes! But because I would ask more questions then anyone else. I was proud of my Irish heritage. My maternal grandparents came over from the old country first to Baltimore, MD, where my grandmother died young and my grandfather, Thomas Martin remarried. They had six daughters, who did not all marry Irish men. My mother’s Aunt Gert McCabe married a Reagan. My mom was a tough, sweet, and loving Irish woman.
2. When first starting out was there an Irish influence or connection in your choice of employment?
The only influence was that my mother’s cousin John Reagan helped me and my brother get into the Insulator Union. The local had folks from all heritage backgrounds but most of the leadership I believe were Irish.
3. To what extent do you attribute your Irish heritage for your successful negotiating skills in the Labor movement?
I think I take after my mom for that, she raised us through some tough times along with my father who worked his whole life in textile mills. She made everything seem good with very little to work with.
4. It is said in Philadelphia circles that you are a leading force for actively supporting charitable causes. Can you tell us about a few closest to your heart?
I have had the great fortune to be associated with many great charities and nonprofit organizations. I guess the most charitable organization would be the Insulators Local 14 Mesothelioma Fund. It was created in partnership with our contractors association along with many other Insulator unions. We have given Fox Chase Cancer around three million dollars to find a cure for this terrible disease.
The Philadelphia Building Trades All Star Labor Classic which first supported Cerebral Palsy and more recently MS again raised millions of dollars for good causes, but I would be remissed if I didn’t mention Graduate Philadelphia, Philadelphia Academies, Welcoming Center for New Philadelphians, Philadelphia Youth Network (PYN) Work Ready Program for High School kids and others.
5. What came to mind and how did you feel – when notified about your induction to Delaware Valley Irish Hall of Fame, and what three words best describe you?
Surprise and excited especially coming from one of the greatest Irish leaders of Philadelphia my friend Mary Fogg. Stubborn, Caring, Honest.
