Texas AFL-CIO Congratulates Liz Shuler and Fred Redmond on Historic Election to Lead Labor Movement

 The Texas AFL-CIO congratulates Texas AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler on her historic election to a four-year term as President of the AFL-CIO.  Congratulations as well to Fred Redmond, who in another historic vote was elected to the post of Secretary-Treasurer.

  “Liz Shuler has a broad vision for the labor movement of the future, and she will be an innovative, progressive and powerful leader for us in these challenging times,” Texas AFL-CIO President Rick Levy said. We are excited to support her and work with her to build the most powerful labor movement this country has ever seen.” 

  Texas AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Leonard Aguilar, who had the honor of making a seconding speech for Shuler, said, “Liz has supported the Texas labor movement in triumph, in tragedy and in all points between. We are honored to call her a friend, and we congratulate her on a well-earned victory by acclamation.”

  “We congratulate Fred Redmond as well on his election to the #2 slot,” Levy said. “Fred was a good friend and partner in activism of the late Texas AFL-CIO President John Patrick while both worked for the United Steelworkers. Fred has been a powerful and consistent voice for justice throughout his career, and it is a powerful statement about our labor movement that he has been elected to lead us forward.” 

  Shuler was chosen President by the Executive Council following the untimely death last August of President Rich Trumka. Today’s vote by delegates from across the U.S. at the AFL-CIO Convention in Philadelphia launched Shuler and Redmond into a full four-year term. Shuler is the first woman to lead the national labor federation and Redmond is the first African-American elected as Secretary-Treasurer.

  The Texas AFL-CIO is the state labor federation consisting of 240,000 affiliated union members who advocate for working families in Texas.