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In Memoriam: Timothy Lynch

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Teamsters are mourning the loss of Timothy Lynch, a beloved member of the Teamster family who passed away in January 2016.

Lynch was President of Local 1205 in Farmingdale, N.Y., for 17 years. He was also a Vice President of the Long Island Federation of Labor.

Teamsters may be more familiar with him as the man who always led the union in singing “Solidarity Forever.” Lynch closed out the last few Teamster Conventions by leading the song, and he has also performed that and other labor-related songs at numerous labor rallies and strike lines.

He has been active with the Teamsters Union for more than 20 years, and before that he was an active member of the Actors Equity Association, Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Radio and Television Artists.

Lynch was a staunch organizer and bargained great contracts for his members. In recent years he has worked tirelessly on organizing bus drivers and has been a key player in the union’s “Drive Up Standards” campaign. He has also organized thousands of workers in the restaurant industry and those working in factories.

More than anything, though, Lynch will be remembered for fostering solidarity across the Teamsters Union. Lynch is survived by Ellen Reiss, his wife.