Clark Ritchey: ‘Leadership a Lasting Legacy’
By Fred Bruning
The Communicator
Clark Ritchey, a highly regarded labor leader with a quarter century of service to the PPPWU and its predecessor unions who as secretary-treasurer played a vital role in guiding the organization toward a future of strength and independence, died June 4 in Chicago. He was 58.
Union associates say Ritchey, who also served as secretary treasurer of District Council 2, suffered a heart attack shortly after arriving in Chicago for a pension board meeting. Ritchey died three days later in the hospital.
“Clark was known for his dedication, leadership, and steadfast commitment to the working men and women of our union,” said PPPWU President Steve Nobles in a message to local leaders. “His contributions touched the lives of many and will not be forgotten. His leadership has changed our union for the better and will leave a lasting legacy.”
A tribute circulated by DC-2 similarly hailed Ritchey and pledged to carry out the “mission” he helped lead – “to advocate for and support our members with integrity, compassion, and strength.”
Dan Cabada, DC-2 president who will replace Ritchey as district council secretary treasurer, worked with Ritchey for more than 10 years and observed his ethic of hard work, efficiency and dedication to the union rank-and-file.
“He used every minute of every day wisely,” Cabada said. “Everything he did benefited our members.”
Clark Brian Ritchey was born Aug. 25, 1966 in Bellflower, California, to Clark W. and Carol Ritchey. The family moved to Edmond, Oklahoma, in 1979 where Ritchey played football and baseball in high school and achieved all-state honors in football as a senior.
He was awarded an athletic scholarship to Southeastern College in Durant, Oklahoma – now Southeastern Oklahoma State University – and helped the football team to its first playoff victory.
Ritchey joined District Council 2 in August 1999 and was also serving as president of Local 747-M, Seattle, at the time of his death.
In 2014, Ritchey, who lived in Washougal, Washington, became DC-2 secretary treasurer and was elected GCC/IBT general board member for the Pacific Region in June 2003, an office he held until November 2023. When Nobles succeeded Kurt Freeman as PPPWU president that same year, Ritchey replaced Nobles as international secretary treasurer.
Freeman said Ritchey had been particularly effective in helping reorganize the union after the Teamsters abruptly scuttled the merger agreement that brought together the GCIU and IBT to form the GCC/IBT.
“What I will remember about Clark will be his steadfast dedication to the members he represented,” Freeman said. “Clark always fought for the best outcomes and worked tirelessly to achieve them.” Colleagues said Ritchey was resolute in the face of IBT attempts to raid PPPWU locals after the GCC-IBT split and refused to accept any accommodations on his own behalf.
“He was a true labor leader who fought for our members and union every day,” said PPPWU organizing director Israel Castro. “He had the opportunity multiple times to take an easier route for himself and his district council and cut a self-serving deal but he rejected those attempts. He stepped up to help the PPPWU.”
Castro lauded Ritchey for “fighting back against the Teamster raids” and said he was a “stand-up guy” whose loyalty was unquestioned. “You could rely on his word and he would not abandon his friends,” Castro said. Trustworthiness is the essence of union leadership, said George Tedeschi, PPPWU president emeritus and Ritchey was a “model” of that virtue.
“Clark was a reliable, smart, productive and an insightful union officer but nothing mattered more to him than dealing honestly with members just as he did with company officials during negotiations,” Tedeschi said. “I valued our time working together, especially on a number of difficult tasks securing the future of DC-2 and other issues. He was a close friend and I will miss him greatly.”
Ritchey’s spirit of cooperation was evident in his dealings with The Communicator.
Dawn Hobbs, a former Santa Barbara News-Press reporter and regular contributor to The Communicator, said Ritchey was a reliable source who responded quickly to news related inquiries and added valuable perspective.
“He had an amazing understanding of the big picture,” Hobbs said. “He brought a timeliness and depth to labor stories, often addressing complex issues in relatable terms. His impact will live on but Clark will be sadly missed.”
Ritchey’s legacy of decency and dedication is assured, said Mike Maddock, DC-2 executive representative and longtime friend of Ritchey and his family.
Maddock said Ritchey operated unfailingly with “fairness and loyalty” and earned the respect of union members, colleagues and company representatives he engaged during contract negotiations. “He really, truly was a leader,” Maddock said.
Ritchey is survived by his wife, Debbie; mother, Carol Harr; brother, Chad; sister, Christa; grandson, Collin; uncle, Richard Newberg; two nieces; and numerous cousins and beloved friends.
