AFL-CIO Staff

One year ago, President Joe Biden signed the American Rescue Plan into law. The spending package was targeted at getting working people the support they needed during an unprecedented economic and global health crisis. This was an historic achievement that brought so many often marginalized groups front and center.

Pittsburgh played host last week to the inaugural E.U.-U.S. Trade and Technology Council meeting. Leaders from the European Union and the United States, including co-chairs of the council Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai and Secretary of State Antony Blinken, discussed issues ranging from technology standards to global trade to supply chain security during the day-and-a-half conference.

If we're going to Build Back Better in the U.S., paid leave has to be part of the solution. Not only does paid leave save jobs, it boosts our economy. Investing in paid leave is just an important part of our infrastructure as investments in roads and bridges.

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.

Richard Louis Trumka dedicated his entire life to making sure every institution he touched—the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA), the AFL-CIO, the U.S. government and the world community—served working people and the public interest, comforted the afflicted and afflicted the comfortable.