Bill Samuel is the director of government affairs at the AFL-CIO. In addition to serving as the chief lobbyist for the 12.5 million-member labor federation, Samuel chairs the AFL-CIO’s Legislative Committee, which is made up of legislative representatives from the federation’s 55 affiliated unions.

Samuel returned to the labor movement in January 2001 after a five-year stint in the Clinton administration, serving first as associate deputy secretary of labor under Robert Reich and then Alexis Herman. In 2000, Samuel joined the White House staff as senior policy adviser to Vice President Al Gore, serving as the vice president’s principal adviser on labor policy issues and liaison to organized labor.  

From 1984 to 1995, Samuel was the chief lobbyist at the Mine Workers (UMWA). While at the UMWA, Samuel led the successful campaign to win passage of federal legislation guaranteeing lifetime health benefits to more than 200,000 retired miners and their dependents. Prior to joining the UMWA, Bill was a legislative representative for the National Treasury Employees Union and the AFGE.

He is a graduate of Oberlin College and the George Washington University Law Center.

Media Hit

Bill Samuel Says Trump Doesn't Comprehend What Everyday Americans Go Through to Survive (The New York Times, Paywall)

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100 Days into the 115th Congress, We Examine How They've Spent Their Time

House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell are certainly trying to “open wide the doors of opportunity,” but only if you are a CEO who profits by cutting corners on workers' health and safety, or siphoning off millions from their retirement accounts.
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Bill Samuel Discusses the Potential Rollback of a Federal Contracting Regulation That Protects Workers (WBKO)

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Bill Samuel Says Puzder Seems to Have a Knee Jerk Reaction Against all Regulations Despite the Fact the DOL's Mission is to Protect Working People (St. Louis Post Dispatch)