Pete Capano is a lifelong Democrat, a U.S. Army Veteran, and a graduate of Lynn Public Schools and the University of Massachusetts. From an early age, Pete had a strong desire to serve his country and his community. He joined the U.S. Army in 1976, serving in Europe during the cold war. After leaving the Army, Pete returned to Lynn, and like many in the area, began working for General Electric. While there, Pete, as President of his union, is credited with leading the negotiating committee that persuaded the company to bring nearly 300 new, middle-class jobs to Lynn.
Pete knows we don’t just need jobs, we need good jobs; and he has the practical experience to make it happen.
In 2016 as President of the International Union of Electrical Workers/ Communications Workers of America Local 201, Pete led the negotiating team that won over 300 new family-supporting jobs for our district by convincing General Electric to expand its operations and build its new aircraft engine, the GE38, right here in Lynn. This is the largest influx of new jobs Lynn has seen in decades.
As the Labor Representative to the Essex County Community Organization, Pete co-chaired the ECCO Jobs team to research area employment and job training opportunities to help Lynn residents find jobs with a living wage, benefits and a career path. That work led to the creation of the E-Team Machinist Training Program, a partnership of unions, churches, manufacturers, the Boston Machining and Tooling Association, and local and state elected officials. The program has trained hundreds of Lynn residents for work in the machining industry and is a model for job training across the state.