AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler praised AFSCME members for their commitment to their communities and urged them to vote in November for the team that values public service workers — Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.
In a speech Wednesday at our union’s 46th International Convention, Shuler praised AFSCME members for their fearless service on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic and for standing strong against threats against public sector unions.
“Through it all, AFSCME members find a way to get hard things done,” said Shuler. “This country depends on you every single day. And it’s about damn time our leaders recognized it.”
Harris and Walz respect the work AFSCME members do. The other side does not and has cooked up a plan called Project 2025 to destroy public sector unions and hurt working people in many other ways.
“But here’s the good news. We have a ticket that’s running on the other side that has a hopeful vision for this country,” Shuler said, urging convention attendees to go canvassing, do phone banking and to persuade friends and family to vote for the Harris-Walz ticket and pro-worker candidates for all levels of government.
Shuler is the first woman to lead the federation of 60 national and international unions that represent 12.5 million working people. Shuler was elected by acclamation to serve as AFL-CIO president on June 12, 2022. She first held the office after being elected by the AFL-CIO Executive Council on Aug. 20, 2021, following the unexpected death of her predecessor, Richard Trumka.
Shuler’s father, Lance, was a power lineman and longtime member of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 125 at Portland General Electric. Her late mother, Joyce, worked as an estimator in the company’s service and design department.
Shuler began her labor career in 1993, when she began working at IBEW Local 125.
