NORTH BERGEN, N.J. (August 23, 2021) – “Congratulations to Liz Shuler on her election as President of the AFL-CIO. In my over 50 years as part of the International Longshoremen’s Association and my long association with the American Labor Movement, Liz Shuler ranks among the most intelligent, dynamic, and progressive labor leaders I know.
“At this critical time for Organized Labor, Liz Shuler represents the best choice to lead the AFL-CIO into the future. The 65,000 members of the ILA join me in congratulating the newl Leadership Team at the AFL-CIO: Liz Shuler, President; Fred Redmond, Secretary-Treasurer; and Tefere Gebre, Executive Vice President,” ILA President Harold J. Daggett said.
The AFL-CIO Executive Council on Friday, August 20th, 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 (USW) 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.
The election of Shuler and Redmond comes after the unexpected and untimely passing of Richard Trumka, who served as AFL-CIO president from 2009 until his death on Aug. 5, capping a more than 50-year career of dedication to America’s unions and working people.
“I am humbled, honored and ready to guide this federation forward,” Shuler said after her election. “I believe in my bones the labor movement is the single greatest organized force for progress. 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.”