Westchester Putnam Building & Construction Trades Council

Edward Doyle, Sr., the former president of the Building & Construction Trades Council of Westchester & Putnam Counties, Inc., and a powerful former head of Teamsters & Chauffeurs Local Union 456 in Elmsford, NY, passed away on Sun., July 20. He was 85 years old.

Ed was a leading voice for organized labor in Westchester, Putnam and the Downstate region for nearly 50 years. He was elected Teamster Local 456 vice president and business agent in 1976 and was appointed to secretary-treasurer and business manager of the Local's Executive board in 1985. On Jan. 1, 1990, his title changed to president and business manager of Teamsters Local 456.

"Ed Doyle in partnership with Ross Pepe, who was the longtime president and founder of the Construction Industry Council, were the foundation for the joint labor management cooperation that we in the construction and building trades today enjoy."

In 1990, Mr Doyle was elected by his peers in organized labor to serve as president of the Building Trades Council of Westchester & Putnam Counties, Inc., in large measure to his special skills and interest in politics. At one point during his long career he served on the political committees of both the Democrats and Republicans in Westchester.

"Eddie has helped improve labor-management relations in ways too numerous to count. "Eddie worked on the cutting edge of practically every major regional labor development over the past three decades. He spearheaded the advent of the project labor agreement in the region—a practice that has resulted in higher productivity and employment opportunities for all union members and profitability for the companies that performed the work. There has never been a better friend to the men and woman of labor than Eddie Doyle."