Danny Fetonte, (1950-2022)
Written by the Texas AFL-CIO
The Texas AFL-CIO was saddened at the weekend news that Danny Fetonte, an organizer’s organizer, has died after a long illness.
In our movement, Brother Fetonte was best known for his work with the Texas State Employees Union/Communications Workers of America. None I have known were better at connecting with working people.
Danny’s skill set combined a boundless passion for our movement and for social justice, a gift of gab, mastery of the details of what work is about, and, most importantly, an ability to convey the breadth and history of our movement in direct, simple terms. It is consoling to know that Fetonte lived to see what he battled for his whole career: a national resurgence in union organizing.
Fetonte was a proud Democratic Socialist, a proud environmentalist, and a major player in the 2016 Texas presidential campaign of Sen. Bernie Sanders.
He was a great friend to the state labor federation, supporting initiatives that aimed for a better Texas and sometimes lighting fires to focus our attention on issues that needed lifting.
It was the essence of Brother Fetonte that during his illness, and even after an arm amputation, he could be seen at labor and social justice events on a regular basis for as long as he was able to get in the mix.
The Texas AFL-CIO extends our heartfelt condolences to the Fetonte family.
Film-maker Anne Lewis posted a short clip of Danny in his element, discussing historic organizing he undertook in Nacogdoches in the late 1980s. It’s a great glimpse of the attention to detail and passion with which Danny went about his business.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to: