Leonard DiCosimo, president of a Cleveland area musicians local, has been appointed head of the North Shore AFL-CIO Federation of Labor, the Federation announced Thursday.

Leonard DiCosimo has been appointed head of the North Shore AFL-CIO Federation of Labor, the Federation announced June 1.
Leonard DiCosimo has been appointed head of the North Shore AFL-CIO Federation of Labor, the Federation announced June 1. Credit: Courtesy of Leonard DiCosimo/Photo by Dave Nash

DiCosimo, whose official title is executive secretary, succeeds Dan O’Malley. The Federation’s executive board removed O’Malley in April for using the organization’s credit card for personal expenses and then bouncing checks intended to reimburse the local AFL-CIO chapter. O’Malley has said that he is appealing his removal from Greater Cleveland’s largest labor organization, which has about 85,000 members. 

DiCosimo has been president of the Cleveland Federation of Musicians, Local 4 American Federation of Musicians, since 2005. DiCosimo most recently served as treasurer of the executive board of the local AFL-CIO. His appointment as executive secretary means the board will have to name a new treasurer. Active in organized labor for years, DiCosimo had served as a trustee and vice president of the central labor council.

DiCosimo is looking forward to addressing issues that affect all working families

North Shore AFL-CIO Federation of Labor news release

The Federation’s board appointed DiCosimo last week to head the organization and made the announcement public on Thursday.  A working musician, he has directed choral ensembles and stage productions. He has served on the faculties of Baldwin Wallace College Conservatory of Music and Lakeland Community College. DiCosimo has taught a variety of conducting classes.  

DiCosimo “is looking forward to addressing issues that affect all working families,” the union said in a statement. He opposes Ohio Issue 1, which is on the August ballot. If passed, the ballot measure would require a 60% vote to approve a constitutional amendment in Ohio.  A “no” vote opposes requiring a 60% majority from voters to approve a constitutional amendment.

“Voting NO on State Issue 1 is of paramount importance to all of us,” DiCosimo said in a news release. “Citizens in every community deserve the right to amend their constitution by a simple majority — not a 60% threshold. This is a blatant attempt to silence the voice of Ohioans by a Republican legislature that was elected under districts that the Ohio Supreme Court found illegal due to gerrymandering.”

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Economics Reporter (she/her)
Olivera, an award-winning journalist, covered labor, employment and workforce issues for several years at The Plain Dealer. She broke the story in 2013 of a food drive held for Walmart workers who made too little to afford Thanksgiving dinner. Olivera has received state and national awards for her coverage, including those from the Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing (SABEW). She was a Nieman Fellow at Harvard University. Olivera believes the sweet spot of high-impact journalism is combining strong storytelling with data analysis.