AFL-CIO - Definition and Overview

The AFL-CIO is the largest labor union federation in the United States.

AFL-CIO stands for "American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations". It is America's largest federation of labor unions, made up of 61 national and international (i.e., including Canada) unions, together representing over 14 million workers. The AFL-CIO was formed in the 1955 when the AFL and CIO merged after a long estrangement.

Four member unions have more than one million members each: the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), the United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW), the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.

International policy

The AFL-CIO have maintained two organizations to engage with other labor unions across the world, both as joint partners with the United States government: the American Institute for Free Labor Development and the American Center for International Labor Solidarity.

Presidents

• George Meany (1955-1979)
• Lane Kirkland (1979-1995)
• Thomas R. Donahue (1995)
• John J. Sweeney (1995- )

Other officers

• Executive Vice-President Linda Chavez-Thompson
• Secretary Treasurer Richard Trumka

See also:

• Labor union
• labor movement
• List of U.S. trade unions.

External link

• Official site (http://aflcio.org)

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