For Pride Month this year, the AFL-CIO is spotlighting various LGBTQ+ workers who have worked and continue to work at the intersection of civil and labor rights in the United States. Today's profile is Chris Pena of UAW.
Chris Pena, a Chicago-area native and third-term president of UAW Local 551, began his career on Ford’s Chicago Assembly Plant line after high school. A lifelong car enthusiast and union advocate, he represents nearly 6,000 members, including assembly line workers and skilled tradespeople such as electricians, carpenters and toolmakers. Throughout his career, Pena has championed worker safety; diversity, inclusion and equity; and community outreach.