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Executive Council Statement

On the Retirement of Gerald McEntee

… as chair of the AFL-CIO Political Committee, but he has always spearheaded organizing, too. He has been the first to embrace new visions and new ideas—he co-founded the Economic Policy Institute, threw his passion into health care reform … helping drive its phenomenal growth and success. He also played a major role in stopping President George W. Bush’s plan to privatize Social Security. McEntee never shrinks from a challenge or a fight for working families. But he deserves equal … Memphis sanitation workers to assert “I Am a Man”; the union that virtually trademarked the struggle for dignity for all work and just rewards for all workers; and the union that has enabled city, county and state workers to turn government jobs …
Blog

Pride Month Profiles: Joe Kekeris

… For Pride Month, the AFL-CIO is spotlighting various LGBTQ+ Americans who have worked and continue to work at the intersection of civil and labor rights. Today's Pride Month profile is Joe Kekeris. … Joe Kekeris is the ultimate … is too small. He takes on everything with the same level of resolve and shows everyone his huge heart. It’s a testament to his character.  …
Speech

Trumka to Washington State Labor Council Convention: America Is Looking to Us for Leadership

… Good evening! Thank you Brother Larry [Brown], for that kind introduction and your steadfast leadership.  I also want to thank my sister April [Sims] for your incredible work fighting for justice. It’s a real pleasure for me to be with you tonight. Your work has inspired me, your dedication has … You see, the truth is America’s economy hasn’t been working for working people. And it’s threatening democracy itself. Right now, we are facing a coordinated attempt across the country to curtail voting rights and make it harder for working …
Blog

At this Time of Challenge and Controversy, We Need Solidarity

… and controversy.” — Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. We’re coming off of an election that reminded us we still have considerable work ahead in the struggle for freedom and civil rights, and on Martin Luther King Jr. remembrance day, Dr. King’s quote is … alive today, he would say: “Be there for people of color, for immigrants, be there for the Muslims because they are scared right now.” I came to America when I was 15 years old, escaping an authoritarian regime in Ethiopia as a political refugee. I walked for 93 days …
Blog

Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month Profile: Mikayla Vu

… Month this year, the AFL-CIO is spotlighting various Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders who have worked and continue to work at the intersection of civil and labor rights in the United States. Today's profile is Mikayla Vu of the American …
Blog

Pride Month Profiles: Lyseria Kursave

… For Pride Month this year, the AFL-CIO is spotlighting various LGBTQ+ workers who have worked and continue to work at the intersection of civil and labor rights in the United States. Today's profile is Lyseria Kursave of the Electrical Workers (IBEW). … Lyseria Kursave is the president of Pride At Work South Bay chapter and a journeyman electrician with 13 years of experience. She has represented Pride At Work on …
Speech

Trumka to Pilots: Solidarity is the Best Way Forward

… Thank you, Brother Tim [Canoll] , for your friendship and your leadership. It’s wonderful to join you at this pivotal time in America’s history. I’m excited to talk to your new leaders. When I’m done, I look forward … I’ve never forgotten what I learned on the safety committee of my union, the United Mine Workers of America. In your union work, each of you is going to determine the future of our labor movement. You have the power—and the responsibility. Your … lot worse during the Trump Administration. On Friday, the White House issued a statement saying the president believes in right to work. The attack on unions is raging in Washington D.C. and in states across the country. The next few years will …
Blog

The Enduring Legacy of Asian American Pacific Islander Workers and Union Leaders

… part of the tapestry of our labor history, though their stories are not well celebrated. From the sugar fields of Hawai’i to the California coast where the Transcontinental Railroad originated to the grape fields in Delano, California, employers … think they often had to overcome cultural and language barriers to find commonality with others—and all in a time when the right to organize was not well protected. There are countless stories of untold heroism in this history.  Native Hawaiian … the first general strike by native laborers in the Hawaiian Islands in 1841 because they rejected the western concept of work and being paid in scrip. Five thousand Chinese workers staged a strike covering 30 miles of rail in 1867. There’s the …
Blog

Labor Victory in New Hampshire and More Worker Wins

… continue organizing, bargaining and mobilizing for a better life. This edition begins with: … Labor Movement Defeats Right to Work in New Hampshire:  The New Hampshire state House of Representatives voted June 3 to indefinitely postpone the proposed …
Blog

Pride Month Profiles: Maureen Rooney

… For Pride Month, the AFL-CIO is spotlighting various LGBTQ+ Americans who have worked and continue to work at the intersection of civil and labor rights. Today's Pride Month profile is Maureen Rooney of the Utility Workers … is currently the only female distribution field worker in her workplace. She’s a strong, independent woman who is up to the challenge of the important job of operating and maintaining water infrastructure systems. It is a physical job that …