Watch AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka’s Endorsement Video Here
The General Board of the 12.5 million-member, 55 union AFL-CIO voted today to endorse Joe Biden for president of the United States. Over the past year, working people have engaged in a comprehensive process to ensure our voices are heard and we play a prominent role in shaping the change in direction our country needs.
“Joe Biden is a lifelong supporter of workers and has fought his entire career for living wages, health care, retirement security and civil rights,” said Trumka. “Our members know Joe has done everything he could to create a fairer process for forming and joining a union, and he is ready to fight with us to restore faith in America and improve the lives of all working people.”
Over the next five months, the labor movement will draw a clear contrast between Biden and President Donald Trump. Trump’s record of slashing rules designed to protect us on the job, cutting workplace health and safety inspectors to their lowest level in history, and taking away overtime pay from millions of workers are just a few ways working people have been hurt by the current administration. Worse yet, America’s working families and communities are suffering because of Trump’s delinquent, delayed, disorganized and deadly response to the coronavirus.
“Working people have responded to COVID-19 with passion and dedication, even as our federal government falls down on the job,” Trumka said. “Just imagine what we can accomplish with an ally in the White House.”
The labor movement is mobilizing across the country, in every city, state and community to ensure our message is heard loud and clear. While the methods may look a little different in the face of COVID-19, our program will continue its massive reach through virtual phone banks, peer-to-peer texting, digital actions and, as always, union member-to-union member conversations.
“The path to the presidency runs through the labor movement,” Trumka concluded. “And with the full force and unmatched reach of our political program, we are ready to pave that road for our friend Joe Biden.”
Contact: Carolyn Bobb (202) 637-5018