The South Bay AFL-CIO Labor Council announced the election of Ben Field as the organization’s new Executive Officer.  Field will succeed Cindy Chavez, who led the labor organization starting in 2008.  Chavez is leaving the position to focus on her duties as Executive Director of Working Partnerships USA, a non-profit public policy think-tank.

Serving as Chief of Staff for the past three and a half years, Field has been responsible for running the largest, most sophisticated, grassroots political campaign operation in the South Bay. He oversees political campaign work carried out by the Committee on Political Education (COPE) advocating for candidates and public policies that are good for working families.

Said Field:

I’m looking forward to building on Cindy’s legacy of political and organizing victories for working families.

During the 2012 election cycle, Field was in charge of several successful campaigns. Among them were three critical local measures including the increase in San Jose’s minimum wage, Santa Clara County’s sales tax for healthcare and public safety, and continued funding for a safe, clean water supply, and the election of two candidates to replace under-performing board members of the El Camino Hospital District.  Field supervised hundreds of volunteers and staff to carry out the campaign work, which also included dozens of other successful candidate races.

Field was elected with a unanimous vote by the Executive Board of the South Bay Labor Council, and a unanimous ratification by the Labor Council delegates. He will take over leadership of the Labor Council in January 2013.