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.

Elon Musk Hosting SNL: A Very Bad Joke on Working People

Before we even find out if Elon Musk can do comedy, we know this: Letting him host “Saturday Night Live” is a joke.

AFL-CIO Releases Annual Report on Workplace Fatalities

In 2019, 5,333 working people were killed on the job and an estimated 95,000 died from occupational diseases, according to the 30th edition of Death on the Job: The Toll of Neglect report released today. That means every day, on average, 275 U.S. workers die from hazardous working conditions. And this was before the devastating COVID-19 pandemic that has been responsible for far too many worker infections and deaths in our country.

Human Rights and Labor Organizations Release Report on the PRO Act

The U.S. Senate should pass the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act, five human rights and labor groups said today in releasing a question-and-answer document about the issue. The groups—including Human Rights Watch, the AFL-CIO, Amnesty International USA, the Economic Policy Institute and the National Employment Law Project—called on senators to seize this once-in-a-generation opportunity to tackle rampant economic inequality by empowering workers and building a more just and human rights-based economy.

Biden: 'I'm a Union President'

Few presidents in America’s history have demonstrated a higher commitment to the labor movement than President Biden. “The truth is I’m a union president, and I make no bones about that,” he said on Saturday. “I’m committed to strengthening our unions and rebuilding the backbone of this country—the middle class.” Biden sat down with a UAW local president and talked about his administration’s policies to promote American manufacturing.

Labor, Environmental Advocates Call for High-Paying Electric Vehicle Jobs

Yesterday, ahead of the Leaders Summit on Climate, the AFL-CIO Industrial Union Council and BlueGreen Alliance, along with the UAW and United Steelworkers (USW), released a report highlighting the need to preserve high-paying union jobs in the U.S. auto industry as part of any equitable clean energy transition. The report reviews the economic impacts of the transition to electric vehicles as well as policy options for creating and preserving good union jobs.

EPI Finds Current Labor Laws Don’t Protect Workers Organizing

The National Labor Relations Act (NLRA)—first passed in the 1930s—is supposed to provide workers protection from anti-union retaliation in the pursuit of organizing and collective bargaining. However, a new report from the Economic Policy Institute finds that the NLRA is no longer up to the task of protecting workers from anti-union actions by our employers.

Labor Reacts to the Chauvin Verdict

On Tuesday, a jury found former police officer Derek Chauvin guilty of murdering George Floyd. While many in the labor movement were quick to commend the verdict, we also know that the work of racial justice must continue.

AFT Member and Army Vet Saves on New Home

José Acevedo served in the U.S. Army before teaching high school history in New York City. After being stationed in the Panama Canal Zone from 1974 to 1977, he spent the next 30-plus years teaching ninth and tenth grade and became a member of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT).