ASAALA Short Bio of MAF Misbah Uddin
Maf Misbah Uddin was born in Bangladesh. His father was a leader from Bengal who was jailed together with Mahatma Gandhi during the non-violence movement against British colonialism. He attended the University of Dhaka where he attained two master’s degrees, the first in Mathematics and the second in Demography where he was first in his graduating class.
In 1984 Maf obtained a Graduate Teaching Assistantship to study at Ball State University in Indiana. There Mr. Uddin attained his third master’s degree in actuarial science. In 1988 he joined the Office of theActuary through immigration sponsorship to work for New York City’s five retirement systemsas an Actuary.
Maf became active in union politics and in 1992 he became an Executive Board Member of Local 1407 which represents the City’s Accountants, Statisticians, and Actuaries. In May of 2000 Mr. Uddin ran a brilliant campaign and unseated a popular incumbent by more than a two to one margin to become President of Local 1407 and was overwhelmingly re-elected in 2003, 2006, 2009, 2012, 2015, 2018, 2021, and 2024. Today he is the only Local President of Bangladeshi origin in the United States of America to lead a municipal labor union.
In 2001 he was appointed as the Secretary-Treasurer of the District Council 37 Fallen Heroes Fund after the 9/11 tragedy. He serves DC 37 on the Finance and Asian Heritage committees as chairman and as a Trustee of the Benefit Fund Trust, Health & Security Fund, Annuity Fund, and Education Fund where he helpsto manage over a $500 million welfare fund. As chairman of the Asian Heritage Committee, he brings forth the Asian contribution and culture to American Society and especially to the entire DC 37 Family. He has increased Asian Heritage activities and at the annual event more than 500 people joined to celebrate Asian Heritage every year.
In 2004 Maf Misbah Uddin became the Treasurer of DC 37, an umbrella organization of 62Local unions with 135,000 members and 60,000 retirees. In January 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016,2019, and 2022 he was re-elected. Mr. Uddin is the first Asian to have attained one of the most prestigious positions in the New York City Labor movement. In September of 2004 he was also elected as Vice-Chair of the Municipal Labor Committee (MLC), a coalition of 100 unions with over 325,000 members. He was re-elected unopposed again in September 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2020, 2022, and 2024.
In 2005 Maf Misbah Uddin was elected as an at-large Executive Board member ofthe Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA), AFL-CIO and was appointed to the APALA National Executive Board to represent the American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) in 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021, and 2023.
In 2008 Mr. Uddin was elected as a Delegate to the Democratic National Convention and participated at the historic convention held in Denver, Colorado where Barack Obama was nominated for the Presidency. In 2012 Mr. Uddin was elected as an Alternate Delegate to the DNC Convention.
In 2008 Mr. Uddin called upon all South Asians in the American labor movement and community leaders to come together in New York City where he formed the Alliance of South Asian American Labor (ASAAL) to empower South Asians in America through education, activism, and participation. Today, ASAAL has 21 chapters wheretenare in the State of New York and a chapter in New Jersey, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Virginia, Maryland, Florida, California, Texas, and Washington DC. In the last few elections ASAAL played an important role to help elect progressive candidates including the Biden-Harris in 2020.
Mr. Uddin was honored by many organizations including the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), Coalition of Black Trade Unionists (CBTU),the Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic & Asian Legislative Caucus. Mr. Uddin was selected by the prestigious weekly “City & State” in “City and State Power 100” in three categories, viz., 100 Labor Leaders, 100 South Asians, and 100 Asians inits2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024. In 2023-2024 Mr. Uddin has served as the New York City Districting Commissioner as the only South Asian appointed by the City Council ever.
Mr. Uddin is always very active in his community and from 1992-2004 served as a Member of the Board of Directors, Treasurer, and later as President of the Parkchester South Condominium Complex in the Bronx, which is the largest Condominium Complex in the United States. Mr. Uddin is married and is the proud father of five children. Undoubtedly, under his leadershipthe South Asiancommunity hasreached new heights.