Michael Gillis

Despite the number of victories in congressional and gubernatorial races across the country in 2018, many of the top labor-endorsed candidates in Ohio lost their elections. The losses were a disappointment to Ohio AFL-CIO President Tim Burga, but he recognized the need to get to work to make the best of the situation. "It was a tough loss in the election, we had higher hopes," Burga said. "We didn’t have any time to waste lamenting the loss, we had to get to work preparing for a new incoming governor and a new legislature." And prepare they did.

The 2018 Manufacturing Apprenticeship Accelerator Forum took place in Cleveland, Ohio, on Thursday.  The forum included presentations from a number of participating organizations including the United States Department of Labor, Ohio AFL-CIO, Pennsylvania AFL-CIO, Chicago Women in Trades and the National Urban League, along with a number of private employers and workforce training providers.

Building on the achievements of the past, newly elected labor leaders and young workers are spreading optimism across the country. Inspired by the history and mission of the labor movement, a new generation of workers and activists are assuming leadership roles as the ranks of young union workers continue to grow.

“Our movement is made up of working people of all parties and ideologies,” AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Liz Shuler told a crowd of more than 300 labor leaders and activists gathered at the AFL-CIO Northeast District Meeting in Silver Spring, Md. “What unites us is work and the desire for a better life. Improving the lives of union members and all working people must be our guiding light in politics.”

Trumka: “This much is clear: Our job has never been more important. Our unity has never been stronger. We are ready to do the hard work of rebuilding the American Dream."

I saw an election that renewed a leadership team that inspired me in profound ways. I saw a man whose confidence and calm drive I can emulate in my endeavors. I saw a woman whose competence and resolve emboldens me to pursue justice for myself and the least of my brothers and sisters. I saw another man whose back story makes me embarrassed to have ever filed a complaint about my own privileged life. I have been reintroduced to leadership that I can follow into the battles ahead.