News

Liz Shuler Elected AFL-CIO President

The AFL-CIO Executive Council today elected Liz Shuler, a visionary leader and longtime trade unionist, to serve as president of the federation of 56 unions and 12.5 million members. Shuler is the first woman to hold the office in the history of the labor federation. The Executive Council also elected United Steelworkers (USW) International Vice President Fred Redmond to succeed Shuler as secretary-treasurer, the first African American to hold the number two office. Tefere Gebre will continue as executive vice president, rounding out the most diverse team of officers ever to lead the AFL-CIO.

In Memoriam: Richard L. Trumka (1949-2021)

Our brother and leader Richard Trumka passed away on August 5, 2021, at the age of 72.

AFL-CIO Unveils Executive Paywatch Report

2020’s growth in pay inequity between workers and CEOs confirms the “executive base salary reductions” touted during the COVID-19 crisis were just lip service, per this year’s AFL-CIO Executive Pay

Texas Working People Step Up in Worst Storm Ever

As Hurricane Harvey and its remnants bring unprecedented flooding and damage to a huge portion of Texas, working people in the state are going above and beyond their duties to help one another.

Why I Served on Trump’s Manufacturing Council—And Why I Left

In January, I was invited to serve on President Donald Trump’s manufacturing council, along with my boss, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka. At the time, I was deputy chief of staff at the AFL-CIO (the largest federation of trade unions in America) and a spokesperson for the organization on trade, manufacturing, and economic policy. President Trumka and I agreed to serve because we believed — and still do — that working people should have a voice in crucial government decisions affecting their jobs, their lives, and their families.

Richard Trumka: Why I Quit Trump’s Business Council

On Tuesday, President Donald Trump stood in the lobby of his tower on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan and again made excuses for bigotry and terrorism, effectively repudiating the remarks his staff wrote a day earlier in response to the white supremacist violence in Charlottesville, Va.

Additional Scholarships Links

Below are additional scholarship links from outside sources that some of you may want to use when seeking additional funding for continued education. These were provided by outsidescholarships.org. We hope you find them useful:

Educational Funding Opportunities

 

Educational funding is available through a variety of resources. Union members and their dependants should check with their Local Unions, District Councils, Central Labor Councils, Area Labor Federations, State AFL-CIO, National or International Union, and the National AFL-CIO to see if there are any scholarship opportunities.

Trumka: Why the Presidential Debate Is Hillary's Moment

AFL-CIO president, Richard Trumka, published a new column on Huffington Post. He writes how Hillary roots for working people and why working people are championing her in tonight's presidential debate.

What It Means To Be an American

Tefere Gebre: Proud American

One night at his UPS job, Tefere Gebre's co-worker handed him some union material. 

“He told me that I’d get health care and vacation and other benefits by filling it out. I said, ‘Are you serious?’ I thought, ‘Hmm. Everyone should have that.’”

Tefere, the executive vice president of the AFL-CIO, has been a proud union member for most of his life, valuing the freedom of people to come together in union.

Today’s Photo ID Laws Are Yesterday’s Beans in a Jar

Kidney Beans, Brooms, and Voting Rights

Growing up in rural Kentucky, Augusta Thomas witnessed the extreme measures elected officials would take to prevent African-American men from voting.