Executive Council Statement
On the Passing of Richard L. Trumka
… mourns the passing of Richard L. Trumka, the longtime legendary president of the AFL-CIO. Trumka dedicated his entire life to making sure every institution he touched—the Mine Workers (UMWA), the AFL-CIO, the U.S. government and the world … in the coal country of southwestern Pennsylvania. He grew up in Nemacolin and followed his father and grandfather to work in the area’s coal mines while he completed his studies at the Pennsylvania State University. After getting a law degree … with South African miners protesting apartheid to, most recently, his fight for imprisoned Uyghurs in China. For the right of working people in the United Kingdom to have a voice in trade negotiations to his support for imprisoned trade …