Everyone has value.
On International Human Rights Day, we reflect on our core values as a movement of working people. As stated in our Constitution Preamble:
We resolve to fulfill the yearning of the human spirit for liberty, justice and community; to advance individual and associational freedom; to vanquish oppression, privation and cruelty in all their forms; and to join with all persons, of whatever nationality or faith, who cherish the cause of democracy and the call of solidarity, to grace the planet with these achievements.
After an election that was marked with hateful rhetoric and racist language, the AFL-CIO has reaffirmed our commitment to living these values that we are stronger together and our differences are what make us great as a people.
AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka said:
We can never back down from our values. The presence of racism, misogyny and anti-immigrant appeals caused damage in this campaign, and we must all try to repair it with inclusion, decency and honesty.
As we move forward, the labor movement is committed to defending our American democracy. Ultimately, the fundamental duty of America’s president, symbolized by swearing to uphold our Constitution, is to protect and preserve our democracy and the institutions that make it real.