Brian String

Former President

Brian String has a strong union pedigree.  His father, Irvin String was a veteran of the A&P Stores and served as Secretary-Treasurer and President of UFCW Local 1358 in Southern New Jersey.

“I was fortunate enough to work with my father for many years,” String says.  “His honesty and integrity in dealing with employers was remarkable to me.  He had a keen ability to size people up by just a simple handshake.  He taught me the importance of listening before acting and always being honest with the membership, especially if the news is bad.”

Brian String became a member of Local 1358 in 1981 when, at the age of 14, he worked as a cart boy at Food Town in Pleasantville, New Jersey.

In 1985, he joined the staff of the UFCW International Union and helped organize hospital workers in Atlantic City. Though he was primarily assigned to southern New Jersey, he was instrumental in organizing 13 Vons stores in Fresno, Calif.

In 1991, String took a position as frozen foods manager at Acme in Ocean City, N.J. He joined the staff of Local 1358 in 1993 and subsequently served the local as Organizing Director, Business Agent, and Director of Collective Bargaining.

During this period, he was also a student at the AFL-CIO’s George Meany Labor Center in Silver Spring, Md., taking a variety of courses in Labor theory, union organizing, and administration.

String became President of Local 1358 in 1997 and served in that position through December 31, 2005.  With the merger vote in November 2005, Sting became President of the newly formed Local 152 effective January 1, 2006.

In 2024, Brian String retired after 18 years of presidency at Local 152.