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Mark Erlich

Wertheim Fellow
Research on Misclassification and Underground Economy

Mark Erlich retired as Executive Secretary-Treasurer (EST) of the New England Regional Council of Carpenters, a 19,000 member organization, in March 2017. A member of Carpenters Local 40 since 1975, he worked at his craft as an apprentice, journeyman, foreman, and superintendent. While EST, Erlich chaired the New England Carpenters Benefits Funds and the New England Carpenters Training Fund. He was a Vice-President of the Mass AFL-CIO and Mass Building Trades. He continues to serve as a member on the Boston Zoning Board of Appeals, MassINC board, and the Federal Reserve Advisory Council.In addition to his career in the trades and the labor movement, Erlich has written and lectured extensively on labor issues. He is the author of two books, With Our Hands: The Story of Carpenters in Massachusetts (1986) and Labor at the Ballot Box (1990), both published by Temple University Press. He has also written dozens of essays and articles on labor history and contemporary union issues in academic publications such as Labor History and Labor Research Review and popular journals and newspapers, ranging from the Boston Globe to The Nation.