“My sense of duty is to the members of the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, to the local lodges we serve, our colleagues, our partners and the labor movement.”
Warren Fairley, International President and Kathy Stapp, International Secretary-Treasurer
Significant changes in the union’s top roles are paving the way for a new future for the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers under the new leadership of Warren Fairley as International President and Kathy Stapp as International Secretary-Treasurer.
The International Executive Council unanimously elected Warren Fairley to serve as the Boilermakers’ International President on June 2, following Article 17 charges against former International President Newton Jones. A subsequent hearing and legal battle ultimately stripped Jones of his Boilermaker membership and office as president.
“I consider it a tremendous honor and privilege—and with these come willing sacrifice and responsibilities to do whatever I can to right this ship,” Fairley said.
Fairley is a 32-year member of Local 693 (Pascagoula, Mississippi). He began his career in 1990 working in the rigging department at Ingalls Shipbuilding and was elected L-693 business manager in 1996. He became an International Rep at the completion of his term, and in 2003, he was appointed Assistant to the International President and Assistant Director of the Shipbuilding Division.
One month later, he was promoted to deputy director of that division, and in 2005, he became Executive Assistant to the International President and Director of the Shipbuilding and Marine Services Division. In 2007, he was elected International Vice President-At-Large for the Industrial Sector, a position he held until October 2010, when he was elected to the office of International Vice President for the Southeast Section. He retired briefly at the end of January 2023 before being called upon by the International Vice Presidents to consider serving as International President.
“My sense of duty is to the members of the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, to the local lodges we serve, our colleagues, our partners and the labor movement,” Fairley said. “It is what compelled me to accept this act of service.”
In August 2023, the International Executive Council likewise unanimously elected Kathy Stapp to serve as International Secretary-Treasurer following the retirement of William Creeden. Stapp is the first woman to be elected as an International Officer, and the International Secretary-Treasurer’s office is one of critical importance.
“I can think of no better person than Kathy Stapp to serve in this important role for our union,” said Fairley. “I am proud to have her as part of our executive team. I’ve worked closely with her and know the value she brings as a trusted leader. The fact that she is a woman is also something we certainly celebrate as a monumental and historic moment for our union.”
Stapp, who most recently served as Director of Human Resources and Benefits Programs and as Administrative Assistant to the International Secretary-Treasurer, began her career with the Boilermakers union in 1994. She originally worked as a floater, covering the switchboard and mail room, eventually working her way into the Accounting Department.
After taking a hiatus in 1999 to raise a family, she rejoined the Boilermakers’ staff in 2008 in the International Secretary-Treasurer’s office. Over the years, her responsibilities evolved and she was promoted into more challenging roles as her experience grew.
“I am honored that International President Fairley and the International Vice Presidents have chosen to entrust such an important office to me,” Stapp said. “The Boilermakers union has been more than a job for me—it’s been infused in nearly every aspect of my life, and I care very deeply about the future of this organization, both professionally and personally.”
Stapp is a member of Local 627 (Phoenix), and she earned her bachelor’s degree in marketing with a minor in English from Kansas State University and the University of San Diego.
“Her long and diverse career with this union makes her uniquely suited to understand the organization, its structure, history and policies. This is well earned and a well-deserved office for Kathy Stapp,” said Fairley.
