AFGE and other delegates to the AFL-CIO’s 30th Constitutional Convention in Minneapolis last week reelected Liz Shuler and Fred Redmond to lead the federation as president and secretary-treasurer, respectively, while AFGE National President Everett Kelley and AFGE District 10 National Vice President Cheryl Eliano were among the 55 vice presidents who were reelected to their positions on the AFL-CIO Executive Council.
Flanked by most members of AFGE’s National Executive Council, President Kelley seconded the nomination of Fred Redmond for another term as secretary-treasurer.
Shuler and Redmond both made history when they were first elected to their full terms in 2022 – Shuler as the first female president of the federation, and Redman as the highest-ranking Black leader in the federation.
During their time in office, the AFL has grown from 57 to 65 affiliated unions, and the AFL reached its 10-year goal of organizing 1 million new members in just three years. The federation now represents 15 million workers nationwide.
“Working people are facing down and fighting back against every obstacle thrown their way – and they’re doing it by coming together and organizing,” Shuler said in a press statement following her reelection. “Our movement is building a world where every worker who wants a union can join one; where they have a voice on the job to demand the wages, benefits, protection and dignity they are owed; and where the broken labor law that is rigged for the bosses is a thing of the past. Unions deliver the power to take on corporate greed and the hope for – and path to – a better life. We won’t stop until that is the reality for every worker in this country.”
During the convention, held from June 7-10, the AFL rolled out an updated strategy to unionize another two million additional workers by 2032, along with other goals to improve workplace rights and protections for working people.
With the convention occurring in Minnesota, much attention was paid to the immigration crackdown in the state earlier this year that resulted in the death of two pro-immigration activists, including AFGE Local 3669 member Alex Pretti. The AFL awarded the Minnesota labor movement with the George Meany-Lane Kirkland Human Rights Award and recognized union members from the state during the convention.
President Kelley also participated in a panel discussion during the convention on building worker power that included AFL President Shuler, American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten, and others.
