Joaquin Francisco Otero

Mr. Joaquin (Jack) Otero passed away into eternal life on November 9, 2016 due to complications from congestive heart failure. He was born in Cuba in 1934 and emigrated to the U.S. in 1954. In November of 1960, he became a U.S. Citizen by naturalization. He resided in the Washington, DC area for almost 50 years, and the last 30 years in Arlington, VA. Mr. Otero retired in 2011. For 50 years prior to retirement, Mr. Otero was a major player in the American Labor Movement. For 22 years, he was an elected International Vice President of a major U.S. railway union – originally called the Brotherhood of Railway and Airline Clerks (BRAC). In the 80’s the union adopted the new name of Transportation-Communications Union (TCU) and eventually became part of the International Machinists Union. In 1991 he had the distinction to become the first Hispanic ever to be elected Vice-President of the National AFL-CIO –American Federation of Labor –Congress of International Organizations. In addition, Mr. Otero was a founder and National President for eight years of the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement (LCLAA), an AFL-CIO labor support group which today speaks for more than two million trade unionists of Hispanic origin. He was a recognized national Hispanic leader who worked tirelessly in support of advancing opportunities for all working people, but especially those of Hispanic origin where labor focused its energies to organize new members. In 1993, he received the “Hispanic Hero of the Year” award from the U.S. Hispanic Leadership Conference.

During the 60’s Mr. Otero left the United States to work for the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF), an international trade secretariat based in London. After a year and a half living in Europe, in 1961 Mr. Otero was posted to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In 1964, he was promoted to ITF Regional Director for Latin American and the Caribbean. In 1967, Mr. Otero returned to the United States to resume employment with his parent union, BRAC. Mr. Otero was very active in Democratic Party politics and after occupying a series of Party posts, in 1988 was elected First Vice Chairman of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) with responsibility for directing the Party’s efforts in voter registration and get-out-the-vote.

When Bill Clinton was nominated the Democratic presidential candidate in 1992, Mr. Otero left his DNC post and joined the Clinton-Gore campaign. In 1993, President Clinton nominated Mr. Otero as Deputy Undersecretary of Labor for International Labor Affairs and U.S. Government Representative on the Governing Body of the International Labor Organization (ILO), a specialized agency of the United Nations based in Geneva, Switzerland. In 1996, Mr. Otero left U.S. Government service and became an international labor consultant and President of Otero Global Resources, Inc. Mr. Otero remained active in the private sector until 2011 when he retired from all active work. Mr. Otero wrote his autobiography, which was published in 2014 under the title “Jack Otero – My Life Story.” Mr. Otero was married for 29 years to the former Carin Moran. From his first marriage to Gina Forcelledo, Mr. Otero had four children, Gizelle (Larry) Henricksen, Jack (Terri) Otero, Laura (Stephen – deceased) Price and Natalie (John) O’Bradovich, seven grandchildren and seven great grandchildren, his brother Roberto who resides in Cuba and many loving and adored nieces and nephews and extended family members. He was preceded in death by his mother Maria Josefa Otero Vian, his stepfather Luis Arteaga and his brother Jose Antonio Otero.

Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:30am on November 16, 2016 at St. Bernadette Catholic Church, 7600 Old Keene Mill Road, Springfield, VA 22152. Visitation will take place on November 15, at Murphy Funeral Home, 4510 Wilson Blvd, Arlington, VA 22203 and on November 16 at 10:30am at St. Bernadette Catholic Church.

In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be made to the Mother Maria Kaupas Center, Attn: Pastor- Divine Redeemer Church, 438 West Avenue

Mount Carmel, PA 17851

Website: https://mothermariakaupascenter.wordpress.com