November 21, 2023 — City & State magazine named PEF Executive Board member Mohammed Karim Chowdhury one of its 2023 Staten Island Power 100 honorees.
Chowdhury is co-chair of the PEF Joint Affirmative Action Advisory Committee; a PEF delegate to the New York City Labor Council; and the national secretary of the Alliance of South Asian American Labor (ASAAL), among many other political and labor roles.
His union advocacy goes back to 2001, when he became an active member of NYC Local 371. In 2007, he became an active member in PEF, moving up the ranks to serve as Council Leader for Division 349 from 2019 to 2021.
As co-chair of the Joint Affirmative Action Advisory Committee, Chowdhury helps deal with mounting complaints of discrimination and helps PEF members find appropriate resolutions, including filing grievances. He also serves PEF members as a member of the Statewide Labor Management and Health & Safety committees.
A first-generation immigrant who migrated to the United States in 1997 from Bangladesh, he jumped into organizing South Asian people on Staten Island, initially working with low-income immigrant families, helping them find good jobs and overcome poverty. He inspired many to join the public sector.
Chowdhury is well known in his community for his dedication to helping others.
“I enjoy serving others and take pride in solving issues faced by individuals and families,” he said. “I help members of my community in finding jobs, resume preparation and improvement, applying for jobs, job training and educational opportunities.
“I firmly believe organizing working-class Americans and building coalitions among various community groups to voice identified issues affecting the communities can deliver swift results,” he said.
– Kate Stickles