[1] In the early 1950s, he served in the U.S. Navy, and studied civil engineering at the University of California, Berkeley but did not obtain a degree.

[4][5] Lucy became a member of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local #1675 in 1956 and was elected as its president in 1965.

He began working full-time at AFSCME's national headquarters in Washington, D.C. the following year as associate director of legislation and community affairs.

[3] In 1968, as part of his leadership role with AFSCME, Lucy lent his support to Martin Luther King Jr. and the mostly black sanitation and other service workers in Memphis who were striking for better wages and benefits.

In spite of King's assassination in April 1968, Lucy continued the work in Memphis, helping see the strike to a successful resolution.