Painters and Allied Trades District Council 3 and its member locals are excitedly entering into a new chapter following their July 3rd, 2025 exit from international trusteeship guided by Special Trustee Clay Rodgers, who helped to reorganize the council. District Council 3 is now prepared to tackle the serious work of advocating for their membership and organizing workers.
Joey Flickner has been elected by the delegates of the council to become the first Business Manager for DC 3 following trusteeship. Flickner worked closely with Rodgers to get District Council 3 on the right track.
Flickner joined IUPAT with then-Local Union 861 in August of 1996 and quickly got involved as a young apprentice. He played a major role, alongside the officers of the core four paint and drywall Local Unions of the District Council, in merging them together to create one paint and drywall Local Union in Kansas City, Local Union 2012.
Flickner has served on the Bylaws Committee for both his Local and the District Council, the Election Committee, a Trustee for Local 861, Financial Secretary for Local 861 from 2001- 2012 and then that same role for Local 2012 from 2012 to 2018, a Delegate to District Council 3 from 2001-2016, a Trustee multiple times, and President of District Council 3 from 2009 to 2012.
“I believe it is the responsibility of us, as leaders, to be an example, to our younger and newer members who strive to be leaders themselves. Help them get involved with our different activities and when they are ready, be willing to step aside and let the new generation lead,” said Flickner.
Flickner says that the District Council made serious improvements to internal structures, increased accountability for union staff, has worked to improve trust with members and has deliberately worked to engage with membership better. Union staff has received serious support from IUPAT with increased training, more resources, and being forced out of their comfort zone.
“District Council 3 is going to continue to focus on growing the membership, adding in new contractors, and continuing the steps we’ve worked so hard to make progress on,” said Business Manager Flickner. “We are going to get our members more job opportunities, provide better representation, and do more for them.”
A result of their hard work? Membership in IUPAT District Council 3 has grown by roughly 15% in just the last year and a half.
IUPAT District Council 3 is far from the only District Council in IUPAT working on these things, as the international has poured significant resources and focus into the needs of membership on the ground. IUPAT is home to close to 140,000 workers in the United States and Canada.
Many familiar faces have been named into official roles as part of the District Council starting this new chapter.
Joey Taylor, formerly a Business Representative will take over as Director of Servicing at the union from Flickner. Taylor, a member of Local 820 since 2006 and former Chief Union Steward at Davis Paint Company, has served in a wide number of roles for the District Council and will work closely with Flickner moving forward.
Jacob Sizemore has been named Business Representative for Local 2012.
“For me, this role is truly about service – Whether it’s lifting others up, protecting workers’ rights, or ensuring that every member feels valued, heard, and supported. I’m honored to fight not just for better contracts and working conditions, but for the dignity and strength of every single member of our Union,” said Sizemore.
Jessica Perez was named the Business Representative for Local 558.
“I joined IUPAT DC3 Local 558 back in 2019, and my life has changed so much for the better since then. I’ve had the chance to work with some of the hardest-working people I’ve ever met, my union brothers and sisters,” said Perez. “They deserve the best, and that’s what keeps me going. I just want to do what I can to support them and help make things better for all of us.”
Kyle Miller is now the Business Representative for Local 2015 out of Springfield, MO.
“Being on staff I get to work for the members who I look up to and that helped guide me along the way. I’ve had the pleasure of working on growing our Local and Apprenticeship Programs.
Jeni Jefferson is now the Controller for District Council 3, bringing over twenty years of accounting and office management experience to the role. She is also the Financial Secretary for Local 820 and involved in the Women’s Committee.
Joshua “Josh” Wyrick is Director of Organizing and Andrew “AJ” Herrera is District Council 3’s Field Representative.
The next round of nominees for District Council 3 positions will occur in May of 2026, with elections
Tristin Amezcua-Hogan is the Editor of The Labor Beacon and a member of LIUNA Local 264. Tristin also serves as the Director of Communications for the Greater Kansas City AFL-CIO and the Chair of the Kansas City Regional Transit Alliance.
Tristin grew up as the son of a UA Local 669 member in Tecumseh, KS and the great-nephew of George C. Amis, longtime leader of the United Rubberworkers (now USW Local 307) in Kansas. Growing up in rural Kansas as the child of teen parents, Tristin quickly came to appreciate the life-changing benefit of a union job.
Tristin and his partner, Rebeca Amezcua-Hogan, are residents of the Westside, Kansas City, MO's historic Mexican neighborhood. They are proud members of Kansas City's New Reform Temple.
