The Metro DC Coalition of Labor Union Women (Metro DC CLUW) held a Women’s Labor Summit this past weekend to honor its 50th annual anniversary, bringing together union members, leaders, and community advocates for a powerful day of reflection, connection, and action.
For the past 50 years, CLUW’s Metro DC Chapter has been grounded in the mission to empower working women through education, advocacy, and leadership development. Metro DC CLUW has long played a critical role in advancing women’s voices within the labor movement by building bridges across unions, mentoring new leaders, and pushing forward issues like pay equity, worker protections, and social justice.
This past weekend’s summit, themed “The Power of Women Workers: Organizing, Social Justice & Community Change in DC,” paid homage to the generations of working women and femmes whose leadership, courage, and collective action have shaped both the labor movement and broader struggles for justice. From trailblazers who fought for workplace rights decades ago to today’s organizers building power across movements, the summit honored a legacy rooted in resilience, solidarity, and transformation.
Metro DC CLUW is an organization that creates a space where people feel energized and connected through community, and the summit reflected that spirit throughout the day. There were lively musical performances by the DC Labor Chorus, opportunities for participants to share their lived experiences and collective memories through an oral history project, plus interactive art sessions that invited creativity and expression.
Speakers throughout the day reflected the diversity that makes CLUW so special, bringing together people from across the social justice movement and representing a wide range of organizations, roles, and levels of experience. Discussions highlighted the importance of building solidarity across movements and strengthening intergenerational connections, while offering insight into how workers are organizing not only in their workplaces, but also alongside broader community struggles such as racial justice. Notable speakers included CLUW National President Sylvia J. Ramos; American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Secretary-Treasurer Elissa McBride; Metropolitan Washington Council President Samuel Epps IV; Branch4 Co-Executive Director Alissa Tafti; and many more. Click here for a full list of summit speakers.
AFGE District 14 was a key supporter in bringing the summit to life. District 14 members were heavily involved with the planning team, along with several members of AFGE’s national staff.
The summit served as a great reminder that today’s fights are rooted in a long legacy of resistance and progress. In the DC region, CLUW continues to be a hub for connection, political engagement, and collective action. For more information about how to support, join or get more engaged in Metro DC CLUW, visit their website today.
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