Report | Civil Rights

Racial and Economic Justice Report

The recommendations below reflect the concerns we heard from local leaders and rank-and-file union members at the commission hearings. We recognize that every union and every community faces unique challenges. Many AFL-CIO affiliates are working to make their unions more inclusive, responsive and welcoming. We have highlighted examples of best practices to show that change is not only possible but also is underway. Our goal must be to spread these changes across our entire labor movement. We can all do more:

  1. Build solidarity and understanding among union leaders and members on how race has been used to weaken labor unity, limit the growth of the labor movement and damage our efforts to advance economic reforms that benefit all working people. 
  2. Build a more “diverse and inclusive labor movement,” by integrating the issues and concerns of members and workers of color into labor’s political and policy work at every level. 
  3. Work to ensure labor’s leadership and decision-making structures reflect the diversity of our members, and all working people.

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