Three AFSCME members secure seats on state pension board

AFSCME has always sought to strengthen Illinois’ public pension funds by working to elect union members who will serve as a strong voice for frontline employees on pension fund boards.

These three candidates gathered enough signatures from fund participants to get on the ballot and to defend retirement security for state employees on the State Employees Retirement System (SERS) board. With no other candidates filing petitions for their seats, all three AFSCME members have been declared the winners of the races.

John Day is the president of AFSCME Local 1048, a position he has held since 2017, and an AFSCME member since his first day at the Illinois Department of Revenue in 2012. John earned his bachelor’s degree from Iowa State University and a master’s from the University of Illinois-Springfield where he focused on public budgeting and finance. John is a Tier 2 SERS member and an outspoken advocate for protecting and improving public employee pension benefits.

Arnold Black sits on the AFSCME Council 31 Executive Board and is the president of AFSCME Local 2971. Arnold was appointed to his seat on the SERS board in 2022 and has been a stalwart advocate ever since. He started his career with the state in 2006 as a Child Welfare Specialist and now serves as a Public Service Administrator with the Department of Children and Family Services.

Cindia “Lynn” Fields is the president of AFSCME Local 3654 at Southwestern Illinois Correctional Center and a 22-year employee of the Illinois Department of Corrections. Lynn successfully promoted through the ranks and is currently a lieutenant at SWCC. She’s participated in numerous union leadership and training programs and is active in union organizing and lobbying efforts. Lynn is also a proud United States Army veteran, having served five years with the Military Police Corps.