Posts Categorized: AFL-CIO

On June 14, the UFCW celebrated the AFL-CIO’s election of the most diverse leadership team to ever lead the labor federation to a full term.

President Liz Shuler is the first woman to ever hold the highest position in the AFL-CIO and Secretary-Treasurer Fred Redmond is the first African-American to hold the second-highest position in the federation. Their election at this year’s AFL-CIO convention means they will serve a full four-year term in these leadership roles, after having previously been elected to fill the remainder of the late AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka’s term last year.

“AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler and Secretary-Treasurer Fred Redmond have proven themselves to be fierce advocates for working families through their decades of service in the labor movement,” said UFCW International President Marc Perrone in a statement. “In this incredibly energized moment in labor history, their vision and commitment to the fight is going to help us grow the movement and help build a stronger future for working people everywhere.”

“After two years of confronting a global pandemic, there has never been a more important time for essential workers,” Perrone added. “With Liz Shuler and her historic leadership team, the 1.3 million members of the UFCW have a tireless partner in our fight for improved wages, safer workplaces, and a better life for our members and their families. Working together, we will build a better future for all workers and hard-working families.”

Last week, the UFCW joined millions of American workers across the country in mourning the death of AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka. For more than a decade, Trumka led the AFL-CIO, which is a federation of 56 national and international labor unions — including the UFCW — and represents 12.5 million working men and women.

“We are shocked and profoundly saddened by the untimely loss of AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka,” said UFCW International President Marc Perrone in a statement. “President Trumka was a powerful champion for workers his entire life, and a giant in the labor movement who always led the calls for justice, equality, and fairness across America.

“President Trumka was a defining example of how one can lead a life that inspires the souls and spirits of others, no matter the struggles they have faced,” Perrone added. “Above all, President Trumka was a friend and a stalwart ally to me, our countless local union presidents, and the 1.3 million members of the UFCW, and was always there to help better the lives of our members and their families. It is difficult to put into words what his loss has left across the labor movement. We only wish that his family and loved ones can find comfort and peace in the fact that he left an indelible mark on our nation and he will be remembered forever.”