AFL-CIO names Shuler as first female president

The AFL-CIO’s executive council voted Friday as expected to appoint Liz Shuler as the federation’s president following the unexpected death of Richard Trumka.

Shuler is the organization’s first female president, a historic moment for organized labor in the U.S. She will serve as the nation’s top union official until summer 2022, when the AFL-CIO’s 50-plus affiliates can gather for their annual convention to vote on a permanent successor.

“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.”

Executive council members also elected United Steelworkers International Vice President Fred Redmond to succeed Shuler as secretary-treasurer. Redmond is the first Black American to hold the office.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/afl-cio-names-shuler-as-first-female-president/ar-AANy0Ef