Members of Civil Service Employees Association Region 6 are mourning the death of their president, Florence "Flo" Tripi. She died Wednesday morning at age 79.
Tripi, a labor leader from Rochester, was associated with the CSEA for 50 years, holding elective office within the union for the past 18 years. She had a reputation for dignity and respect during her job of fighting for the rank and file that she represented.
She was vice president of the Western New York Area Labor Federation and vice president of both the Buffalo Labor Council and Rochester Labor Council. She had also served on the executive council of the New York State AFL-CIO and CSEA's statewide Board of Directors.
Tripi had been ill in recent weeks and died early Wednesday at Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester. Region 6 covers 14 counties in Western New York and the Southern Tier, including Buffalo.
