Reprinted from The New York Times b
The AFL-CIO has chosen Liz Shuler, its acting president since the death of Richard Trumka this month, to lead the federation until it holds elections next year.
Shuler had served as secretary-treasurer, the AFL-CIO’s second-ranking official, since 2009.
The decision to name Shuler president came at a meeting of the AFL-CIO executive council on Friday, which Shuler was obligated to call within a few weeks of Trumka’s death under the federation’s constitution. Shuler is the group’s first female president.
“I believe in my bones the labor movement is the single greatest organized force for progress,” Shuler said in a statement. “This is a moment for us to lead societal transformations — to leverage our power to bring women and people of color from the margins to the center — at work, in our unions and in our economy, and to be the center of gravity for incubating new ideas that will unleash unprecedented union growth.” …
Liz Shuler Elected President as Part of the Most Diverse Leadership Team in AFL-CIO History
Reprinted from an AFL-CIO press release by its staff on August 20, 2021.
The AFL-CIO Executive Council on Friday elected Liz Shuler, a visionary leader and longtime trade unionist, to serve as president of the federation of 56 unions and 12.5 million members. Shuler is the first woman to hold the office in the history of the labor federation. The Executive Council also elected United Steelworkers International Vice President Fred Redmond to succeed Shuler as secretary-treasurer, the first African American to hold the number two office. Tefere Gebre will continue as executive vice president, rounding out the most diverse team of officers ever to lead the AFL-CIO. …
