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.

Intertwined: The Labor Movement and LGBT Rights

Through all the celebration of LGBTQ Pride this month, there’s been a valuable opportunity to reflect on the hard-fought victories, brutal setbacks, and tenacious struggles that have ultimately delivered so much for so many. And just as importantly, there has been time to think about what lies ahead in that fight for justice.

Intertwined: The Labor Movement and LGBT Rights

Through all the celebration of LGBTQ Pride this month, there’s been a valuable opportunity to reflect on the hard-fought victories, brutal setbacks, and tenacious struggles that have ultimately delivered so much for so many. And just as importantly, there has been time to think about what lies ahead in that fight for justice.

6 Months in, GOP Tax Bill an Utter Flop

Six months after President Trump and Republicans in Congress jammed through massive tax cuts mostly for corporations and the wealthy, it has become clear that working families are suffering while billionaire GOP campaign contributors luxuriate in a tax windfall.

Trumka Gets World Peace Prize for Labor Leadership

Richard L. Trumka, president of the AFL-CIO, was presented Tuesday with the inaugural “World Peace Prize for Labor Leadership.” The event took place at the headquarters of the AFL-CIO, in Washington, D.C., in the George Meany Conference Room.

The Las Vegas Union That Learned To Beat The House

Monie Stewart-Cariaga recently decided to leave the townhouse she’s renting to buy a new home. For a single cocktail server, she couldn’t be in a better position to do it. Beyond the fair wage and tips she earns at the Paris Las Vegas Hotel and Casino, Stewart-Cariaga plans to take advantage of a home-buying assistance program run by the Culinary Workers Union Local 226, the powerful union that represents service workers like her on the Vegas strip.

Retiring UAW President Williams: Union Stronger Than Four Years Ago

With growing membership, a budget back in the black and a strike fund that is rising by the year, the Auto Workers are much stronger than they were four years ago, retiring union President Dennis Williams says.

And if you really want a comparison, Williams added one bombshell at the end of his keynote address to the union’s convention, which opened June 11 in Detroit: “We have looked death in the eyes during the Great Recession.”

Why the Salary Question is Bad for Women and People of Color

A federal court in Philadelphia struck down a new city law that barred employers from asking job candidates about their salary history. The ruling has serious ramifications for the fight to narrow the gender wage gap.

Everything You Need To Know About Graduate Student Unions

Graduate student unions are in the news again, with campuses across the US deciding to allow--and not to allow--graduate students to unionize. 

In October 2016, we reported that National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) would require private universities to bargain with graduate student labor unions on compensation and working conditions.