Terry was hired at the Fisher Body Plant in Trenton, New Jersey in 1978 and became a member of UAW Local 731. He then transferred to General Motors Parts in 1980 in Bensalem, Pennsylvania and became a member of amalgamated UAW Local 585. He later became a member of UAW Local 2177 when his plant was granted a charter for that unit in GM Parts. In 1985 he was elected alternate committeeperson of Local 2177.

In 1986 Terry was elected as a full-time committeeperson, and was re-elected to the post in 1989. In 1992, Terry was elected to Chairperson of the Bargaining Committee. He was re-elected as Shop Chair two (2) more consecutive terms. After being elected to the Shop Committee of Local 2177 for 14 years he was appointed to the Region 9 Servicing Staff in August of 1999 by Region 9 Director, Geri Ochocinska and President Stephen P Yokich.

In February of 2012 he was appointed to Assistant Director of the UAW Gaming Department by Vice President Joe Ashton. In April of 2013, Terry was appointed Assistant Director of UAW Region 9 by Director Scott Adams, and UAW President Bob King. At a special convention held on March 26, 2014 in Buffalo New York Terry was elected Director of UAW Region 9.

Terry was re-elected Director of UAW Region 9 on June 4th, 2014 at the UAW's 36th Constitutional Convention.

Terry married his wife Gail in 1979 in Warwick, Rhode Island. They have six (6) children- Melissa, Amy, Ryan, Kevin, Matthew and Teresa. They also have five (5) grandchildren- Dominick, Vincent, Gabrielle, Annabelle, and Victoria, two (2) son-in-laws, Nick Esposito and Ryan Gordon, and daughter-in-law Lindsay Dittes. Terry and Gail and his entire family reside in Levittown, Pennsylvania.