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.

Trump Administration Tells Agencies to Restrict Unions in the Workplace

Federal agencies have been told to carry out Trump administration directives aimed at restricting the role of unions in the federal workplace and giving agencies the maximum discretion in taking disciplinary actions against employees, now that a court ban against many of those policies has been lifted.

Trumka Says Fast Action on Trade Pact with Canada and Mexico Would be ‘Colossal Mistake’

A key labor leader has warned House Democrats not to expedite approval of a new North American trade deal, saying that the agreement remains far from complete and that a vote in coming weeks would be a “colossal mistake.”

There's an Easy Way for Washington to Fend Off a Recession and Help Thousands of Americans

It was just a decade ago that the Great Recession — the worst economic disaster since the Great Depression — upended life for hundreds of millions of Americans. More than 8 million people across the country lost their jobs. Millions more lost their homes and life savings.

The economy has made steady improvements since 2008, but recovery has disproportionately favored wealthier Americans.

Will An Age of Activism and Strikes Lead to Union Growth?

One of the workshops at the Connecticut AFL-CIO’s two-day convention that opened here Thursday explored the lessons offered from “worker power resurgence,” a reference to labor’s extraordinary year of strikes and other work stoppages in 2018.

The PRO Act: Good for Workers and Good for Business

For decades, working families could depend on labor unions to represent their collective interests -- ensuring a living wage, better benefits and a voice in their workplace. Now, after 50 years of rollbacks on union and labor rights, workers have been silenced at their jobs. The Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act is an opportunity for Congress to give working families their voice back.

NALC Member Counts on Union Plus to Deliver After Hurricane

Letter Carriers member Paul Trotman was lucky his house survived Hurricane Florence. When the dust settled, he applied for a Union Plus Disaster Relief Grant, a benefit of being an eligible Union Plus Credit Cardholder. He and his family used the $500 grant to get back on their feet.

CSEA Member Gets College Education She Always Wanted

For her entire adult life, CSEA member Guaren Long has wanted to go back to school to get the college education she felt was missing from her life. When she got an email from the Union Plus Free College Program, she enrolled immediately and hasn’t looked back. With just five classes left, Long has been very happy with her experience and credits the program’s flexibility and course offerings.

Our Economy is Broken. The UAW is Showing Us How to Fix It

A decade ago, General Motors was on the verge of collapse. Facing down an earth-shattering financial crisis, tens of thousands of UAW members agreed to help save an American icon — and the economy along with it.

Autoworkers took on personal financial sacrifices, conceding contract victories that had taken years to secure. Working harder and longer for less, they ultimately carried GM out of bankruptcy and into a period of record-breaking profits.