Press Release

AFL-CIO Names Acting Communications Director

Longtime labor communicator Tim Schlittner has been named acting communications director of the AFL-CIO.

Schlittner is responsible for the strategic communications direction of the federation, and will oversee the day-to-day operations of the department, which consists of seven teams—rapid response, social, writing, activism, video, websites and production—that seamlessly work together to provide the latest information to working people and the media.

“Today’s media landscape requires a dynamic leader who can think two steps ahead, and I’m confident Tim is the perfect person to lead our communications efforts,” said AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka. “He has a tremendous team behind him, and I’m confident we will continue to thrive under his leadership.”

“I am grateful to President Trumka and the entire AFL-CIO for the trust they have put in me,” Schlittner said. “This is an incredible moment for the labor movement and I could not be more excited to spend every day amplifying the voices of working people. It’s a dream.”

Schlittner has been with the AFL-CIO since 2015, serving as director of speechwriting, which shapes the federation’s message in numerous ways. Prior to joining the AFL-CIO, Schlittner worked as a communications manager and speechwriter at the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW). He also spent eight years executing communications on Capitol Hill.

Schlittner grew up in a union family in New Jersey and received his degree in political science and broadcast journalism from Syracuse University.

Contact: Carolyn Bobb, 202-637-5018