Directing Business Representative – Mark Grasseschi
Mark Grasseschi has been a dedicated member of IAM Local 701 since 1987. He built his career in the Automotive industry and served as Shop Steward at Phillips Chevrolet, where he demonstrated strong leadership on the shop floor. In 2013, he participated as a member of the extended bargaining committee for the Standard Automotive Agreement (SAA) negotiations. The following year, in 2014, he was appointed to the Local 701 Executive Board as a Trustee while still serving as Shop Steward.
In July 2015, Mark was appointed as a Business Representative. In that role, he represented a wide range of industries including automotive dealerships, specialty shops, bakeries, trucking companies, machine shops, road builders under MARBA, municipalities, and the forklift industry. In 2019, he was appointed as a Trustee on the Will/Grundy County Trades Association Board. Beyond his representational duties, Mark has played an active role in member communications as both editor and co-editor of the Local 701 Newsletter. He also contributes to the Local’s website and Facebook page.
Mark serves as a Trustee on the Local 701 Health, Welfare, and Pension Funds. He currently chairs the Local 701 Training Fund and Local 701 401(k) Defined Contribution Plan. He also serves as a Vice President on the Illinois AFL-CIO, and as President of the Illinois State Council of Machinists. In January 2022, Mark was appointed Assistant Directing Business Representative (ADBR) under then-DBR Sam Cicinelli. He was appointed as Directing Business Representative in June 2022 and officially elected to the position in August 2022.
Elected or Appointed Positions:
– DBR Local 701
– Trustee for the Local 701 Health and Welfare Fund
– Trustee for the Local 701 Pension Fund
– Trustee for the Local 701 401(k) Defined Contribution Plan
– President Illinois State Council of Machinists
– Trustee for Will Grundy Counties Central Trades & Labor Council
– Delegate for the 2016, 2022, 2024 IAM Grand Lodge Convention
– Appointed to the rules committee for the 2022 IAM Grand Lodge Convention
– Vice-President Illinois AFL-CIO
– Delegate for the Chicago Federation of Labor (CFL)
William W. Winpisinger Education & Technology Center Classes:
– Collective Bargaining
– Advanced Collective Bargaining
– Arbitration and Advanced Arbitration
– Organizing I
– Organizing II
– IAM Foundational Skills
– Basic Web Development
– Negotiating Retirement Security Program
– Negotiating Health Care and other Insurance Programs
– EAP Programs I, II, III, IV
– IAM – Critical Incident Response Training Program
– IAM – Adult Mental Health First Aid USA
– Local Lodge History program
– First Contract
IFEBP Training:
– Certificate of attendance to the International Foundation of Employee Benefit plans 2019, 2021,2022, 2023.