Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family of AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka, as well as to his sisters and brothers in the labor movement. A coal-miner and member of the United Mine Workers—like his father before him—and the grandson of immigrants, President Trumka never forgot his roots as he rose to power in the labor movement. He was instrumental in moving and keeping the issues of working people in the center of public discourse.
Our Network will remember him for his deep commitment to racial justice, both inside and outside organized labor. We will remember his commitment to workers’ rights, regardless of race, gender, or immigration status. We will remember him for his efforts to move unions toward a green economy, calling out climate deniers. And we will remember him as a leader who understood that workers’ rights are civil rights.
May his life and courageous leadership inspire us to intensify our efforts to secure justice for working people in this country and around the world.