The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO)

10
CHAPTER

Introduction: The Central Gravity of American Labor

The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) occupies a singular and complex position in the political economy of the United States. It is frequently misunderstood by the public as a singular “union” that bargains for wages and conditions. In reality, the AFL-CIO acts as a “federation of unions,” a supranational structure within the labor movement that functions less like a corporation and more like the United Nations of the working class. It is the central gravity of the American labor movement, binding together 60 national and international affiliated unions that collectively represent over 12.5 million active and retired workers,.1

The organization does not negotiate collective bargaining agreements for individual workers, nor does it typically handle grievances or arbitration at the shop floor level. Instead, the AFL-CIO serves as the political, legislative, and strategic coordinating arm of organized labor. Its mandate is to amplify the collective voice of its disparate affiliates ranging from the industrial shop floors of the United Steelworkers to the classroom professionals of the American Federation of Teachers into a coherent force capable of influencing national policy and global trade standards.

As of 2025, the federation stands at a critical juncture. The landscape of American labor has been radically altered by the reintegration of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), the continued independence of the Teamsters, and the existential political threats posed by the “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE) and Schedule F civil service reclassifications, 9,.19 The AFL-CIO’s ability to navigate these internal realignments while acting as the primary bulwark against the erosion of the administrative state defines its current operational reality. This chapter provides an exhaustive analysis of the federation’s governance, its tumultuous historical evolution, its vast political machinery, and its strategic initiatives for the mid-21st century.

Video 1:

Governance and Constitutional Structure

The governance of the AFL-CIO is defined by a complex constitutional framework designed to balance the autonomy of powerful national affiliates with the necessity of centralized decision-making. This structure is codified in the AFL-CIO Constitution, which outlines a multi-tiered system of governance that ensures democratic accountability while maintaining executive agility.

The Convention: The Supreme Governing Body

At the apex of the AFL-CIO’s structural hierarchy sits the Constitutional Convention. Often referred to as the “Parliament of Labor,” this body meets quadrennially (every four years) and possesses the supreme governing authority of the federation.1 The convention is the only body empowered to amend the constitution, ensuring that the fundamental rules of the federation are subject to the will of the broadest possible representation of the membership.

Representation at the convention is determined by a system of proportional delegates based on the per capita tax paid by affiliated unions. This ensures that larger unions such as AFSCME, AFT, and the newly reaffiliated SEIU wield influence commensurate with their membership size, while constitutional provisions ensure that smaller unions, state federations, and central labor councils (CLCs) retain a voice in the proceedings.2

The primary functions of the Convention include:

    • Election of Officers: The delegates elect the federation’s three executive officers: the President, the Secretary-Treasurer, and the Executive Vice President.
    • Policy Formulation: The convention debates and adopts resolutions that set the broad trajectory for the labor movement on issues ranging from trade policy and healthcare to civil rights and international solidarity.
    • Fiscal Oversight: Delegates review the financial health of the federation and set the per capita tax rates that fund its operations.2

The Executive Council

Between conventions, the governing authority of the federation resides in the Executive Council. This body is the primary policy-making engine of the AFL-CIO, responsible for interpreting the constitution, directing the federation’s legislative agenda, and handling the complex jurisdictional disputes that occasionally arise between affiliates.3

Composition:

The Executive Council is comprised of the Executive Officers (President and Secretary-Treasurer) and 55 Vice Presidents.3 These Vice Presidents are typically the General Presidents or principal officers of the affiliated national and international unions. The sheer size of the Council is a reflection of the federation’s need to include a wide array of industrial sectors from building trades and manufacturing to public service and entertainment in its deliberative process.

Powers and Duties:

The Council is constitutionally mandated to meet at least twice a year.3 Its powers are extensive and include:

    • Chartering and Jurisdiction: The Council has the sole authority to issue charters to new affiliates. Crucially, it serves as the arbiter of jurisdictional boundaries, a historical necessity given the friction that can occur when unions compete for the same class of workers.2
    • Vacancies: In the event of a vacancy in the office of the President or Secretary-Treasurer, the Executive Council is empowered to elect a successor to serve the remainder of the term. Similarly, it fills vacancies among the Vice Presidents.2
    • Diversity and Inclusion: The constitution explicitly empowers the Council to create up to three additional Vice Presidencies to ensure the body is “broadly representative of the diversity of the membership of the labor movement, including its women members and its members of color”.2 This provision acts as a structural corrective to the historical dominance of white male leadership in the skilled trades, allowing the Council to proactively diversify its ranks even if the constituent union presidents do not yet reflect that diversity.

Video 2:

The Executive Committee

While the Executive Council sets broad policy, the Executive Committee functions as a smaller, more agile administrative board. There is often confusion between these two bodies, but their functions are distinct. The Executive Committee is responsible for the administrative and financial oversight of the federation, including the establishment of the annual budget.5

Composition and Function:

The Executive Committee consists of the President, the Secretary-Treasurer, and the presidents of the 10 largest affiliated unions. Additionally, the President may appoint representatives from up to nine other affiliate unions to ensure a balance of sectors.5 This body meets more frequently than the full Council and advises the President on the day-to-day implementation of policy. This bifurcation a large, representative Council for policy and a smaller Committee for operations allows the AFL-CIO to maintain democratic consensus without sacrificing administrative efficiency.

The General Board

The General Board represents the broadest assembly of leadership outside of the convention itself. Its composition is designed to be radically inclusive, bringing together the leadership of national unions, trade departments, and crucially, regional and constituency organizations.3

Composition:

    • All members of the Executive Council.
    • The principal officer of every affiliated national or international union.
    • The principal officer of each trade and industrial department.
    • Regional representatives of state, area, and local central bodies (selected by the Executive Council).3
    • Representatives of each national constituency organization (e.g., APRI, CLUW) and allied retiree organization.3

Strategic Function:

The General Board meets upon the call of the President or the Executive Council to decide on specific policy questions referred to it. Its most visible and politically significant role is voting on the endorsement of candidates for U.S. President and Vice President.5 The inclusion of constituency groups and local labor councils in the General Board was a significant reform intended to ensure that major political endorsements reflect the views of the grassroots and diverse communities, not just the leadership of the largest national unions.6

State and Local Central Bodies

The power of the AFL-CIO is not merely in Washington, D.C., but in its ability to project power into state capitals and city halls. This is achieved through a network of chartered state federations and Central Labor Councils (CLCs).3

  • State Federations: These bodies coordinate legislative and political action at the state level. They are the primary lobbyists for state labor laws (opposing “Right-to-Work,” supporting prevailing wage) and coordinate statewide electoral mobilizations.7
  • Central Labor Councils (CLCs): Operating at the county or municipal level, CLCs are the “ground game” of the movement. They coordinate local strikes, manage relationships with city councils, and mobilize community support. The Executive Council has the authority to establish minimum standards and affiliation programs to ensure these bodies are effectively integrated with national priorities.3

Historical Context: Fracture, Decline, and Reunification

The hyphen in “AFL-CIO” serves as a typographical scar, representing the healing of the 20th century’s most defining labor conflict the schism between craft and industrial unionism. However, the federation’s history is not static; it is defined by cycles of fracture and consolidation that mirror the economic shifts of the nation.

Video 3:

The First Great Schism (1935–1955)

The roots of the modern federation lie in the ideological battle of the 1930s. The American Federation of Labor (AFL), founded in 1886, was built on the philosophy of “craft unionism” organizing workers based on specific skills (carpenters, machinists, cigar makers). It was often conservative, exclusionary, and skeptical of organizing the unskilled masses.8

In contrast, the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) was born from the rebellion of leaders like John L. Lewis (United Mine Workers) who believed in “industrial unionism” organizing all workers in a specific industry (steel, auto, rubber) regardless of skill level.8 The CIO was militant, politically active, and more racially integrated. The merger of these two rivals in 1955, driven by the anti-union pressures of the Taft-Hartley Act and the cooling of the postwar industrial boom, created the unified AFL-CIO.1

The Second Schism: Change to Win (2005)

Fifty years after the merger, the federation faced a second existential crisis. In 2005, a coalition of unions led by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) disaffiliated from the AFL-CIO, citing a fundamental disagreement over strategy.9

The Strategic Dispute:

The dissident unions argued that the AFL-CIO had become a “paleolith” focused on “beltway” politics and Democratic Party fundraising at the expense of organizing new members. With private-sector union density in freefall, leaders like Andy Stern (SEIU) and James P. Hoffa (Teamsters) demanded a radical restructuring where 50% of the federation’s budget would be rebated to affiliates for direct organizing campaigns.10 When the AFL-CIO leadership refused, seven unions broke away to form the Change to Win (CtW) federation.9

The Failure of Rivalry:

Change to Win aimed to arrest the decline of labor through aggressive, sector-wide organizing and consolidation of locals. However, by the mid-2020s, the consensus was that the split had failed to produce the promised resurgence. Instead, it had divided the movement’s political resources and weakened its voice. The “Change to Win” brand was eventually retired in favor of the Strategic Organizing Center (SOC), which functioned less as a federation and more as a campaigning vehicle.9

The Era of Reunification (2009–2025)

The two decades following the 2005 split were characterized by a gradual drift back toward unity, driven by the realization that a fractured labor movement was vulnerable to corporate and political assault.

    • UNITE HERE rejoined in 2009 after an internal leadership dispute split the union.1
    • The Laborers (LIUNA) rejoined in 2010.1
    • UFCW rejoined in 2013, with President Joe Hansen explicitly stating that “greater labor unity is needed to fend off efforts to weaken union membership”.14

The 2025 Consolidation:

The reunification process culminated in early 2025 with the historic return of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU). Under President April Verrett, the SEIU brought its nearly 2 million members back into the AFL-CIO fold,,.57 This move was precipitated by the political landscape of the second Trump administration, which necessitated a “united front” to defend against initiatives like Project 2025 and attacks on the civil service. With the SEIU’s departure, the Strategic Organizing Center effectively ceased to function as a federation, leaving the United Farm Workers (UFW) as its only non-AFL-CIO affiliate.12

The Teamsters' Independent Path:

The notable exception to this reunification was the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT). Under the leadership of General President Sean O’Brien, the Teamsters chose not to rejoin the AFL-CIO. Instead, the IBT pursued a strategy of “special interest politics,” engaging with elements of the political Right and focusing on specific industrial leverage rather than the broad progressive coalition building of the AFL-CIO.9 This divergent path highlights a lingering philosophical tension in the movement between “business unionism” focused on members’ immediate interests and “social unionism” focused on broader societal change.

Political and Legislative Machinery

The AFL-CIO’s influence is most visibly exercised through its political and legislative operations. In the mid-2020s, the federation functions as the primary shield for the American working class against a hostile regulatory environment, mobilizing voters and lobbying for the preservation of the administrative state.

Committee on Political Education (COPE)

The operational engine of the federation’s political activity is the Committee on Political Education (COPE). COPE coordinates the political work of the affiliates, managing the intricate machinery of endorsements and voter mobilization.

    • Data and Mobilization: COPE maintains sophisticated voter files that allow the federation to communicate directly with union households, which constitute approximately 20% of the electorate in key battleground states.18
    • Endorsement Process: The endorsement of a candidate for U.S. President is a rigorous process involving questionnaires, interviews, and ultimately a vote by the General Board. An AFL-CIO endorsement unlocks a massive infrastructure of volunteer labor door knocking, phone banking, and worksite leafleting that is often more valuable than direct financial contributions.5

Legislative Priorities (2024–2026)

The legislative agenda of the AFL-CIO in 2025 has shifted from an offensive strategy of expanding rights to a vigorous defense of existing institutions, while still pursuing structural reform where political openings exist.

1. The PRO Act: The "Holy Grail"

The federation’s top legislative priority remains the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act. This comprehensive labor law reform would modernize the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) by:

    • Banning permanent replacement of strikers.
    • Overriding state “Right-to-Work” laws.
    • Imposing significant financial penalties on employers who violate workers’ rights.
    • Streamlining the process for reaching a first contract.2 

While the legislative path for the PRO Act remains difficult in a divided Congress, it serves as the litmus test for any politician seeking labor support.

2. Defense of the Civil Service and "DOGE"

In 2025, the AFL-CIO launched a massive mobilization to defend the federal workforce against the “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE) initiatives led by Elon Musk and the Trump administration. The federation viewed the proposed budget cuts and “Schedule F” reclassifications which would strip civil service protections from tens of thousands of federal employees as a direct attempt to “illegally fire” workers and bust public sector unions.19  

AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler framed the government shutdown threats and staffing cuts as attacks not just on bureaucrats, but on “working people who get our Social Security checks out on time, keep our food and water safe, and care for our veterans”.19

3. Healthcare and Social Security

The federation has aggressively opposed attempts to weaken the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and reduce Social Security Administration staffing. In 2025, the Strategic Organizing Center (SOC) and AFL-CIO affiliates released data showing that Social Security field offices had lost 20% of their staff, leading to delays for beneficiaries. The federation linked these administrative failures to the “DOGE” agenda, arguing that underfunding agencies is a form of benefit theft.19

4. Trade Policy and the USMCA Review

Trade policy remains a cornerstone of the AFL-CIO’s agenda. Following the passage of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) in 2020, which the AFL-CIO endorsed after securing strong labor enforcement mechanisms, the focus has shifted to implementation.23

With the mandatory 6-year review of the USMCA scheduled for 2026, the AFL-CIO began positioning itself in 2025 to demand stricter enforcement. The federation champions the use of the Rapid Response Labor Mechanism (RRM), a tool that allows the U.S. to take action against specific facilities in Mexico that deny workers the right to organize.24 

    • Case Studies: The federation has highlighted successful RRM cases, such as the Tridonex and GM Silao interventions, where U.S. pressure led to free union elections and better wages for Mexican workers, thereby reducing the incentive for U.S. companies to offshore jobs to low-wage jurisdictions.24
    • 2026 Review Strategy: In collaboration with the Congressional Labor Caucus, the AFL-CIO is urging the USTR to use the 2026 review to address “protection contracts” in Mexico and to crack down on Chinese investment utilizing Mexico as a backdoor into the U.S. market.28

Strategic Initiatives and Capital Stewardship

Beyond the halls of Congress, the AFL-CIO leverages the economic power of its members’ capital and the strategic capacity of its institutes to shape the future of the economy.

Capital Stewardship: The Housing Investment Trust (HIT)

The AFL-CIO Housing Investment Trust (HIT) is one of the most sophisticated tools in the labor movement’s arsenal. It is a fixed-income investment company that manages over $7 billion in assets, primarily from union pension funds 30,.

    • Mechanism: The HIT invests in multifamily mortgage-backed securities (MBS). Crucially, it requires that 100% of the on-site construction work for projects it finances be performed by union labor. This strategy creates a virtuous cycle: pension capital earns competitive risk-adjusted returns (often outperforming the Barclays Aggregate benchmark due to the yield advantage of construction-related MBS) while simultaneously creating man-hours for the very workers contributing to the pensions.30
    • Impact: In 2025, the HIT financed major developments such as the “400 Lake Shore” project in Chicago (a 72-story mixed-use property) and the “Curtis Apartments” redevelopment in Worcester, MA. These projects not only generated returns but also revitalized communities and expanded the stock of union-built housing.30
    • Shareholder Activism: The AFL-CIO’s Office of Investment also guides pension trustees on corporate governance, advocating for shareholder votes that check executive pay, promote board diversity, and demand transparency on political spending.32

The Labor Energy Partnership (LEP)

Recognizing the potential conflict between climate policy and industrial employment, the AFL-CIO formed the Labor Energy Partnership (LEP) in collaboration with the Energy Futures Initiative (EFI), led by former Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz, 58,.59

    • Mission: The LEP seeks to engineer a “high-road” energy transition. It rejects the false dichotomy of “jobs vs. environment,” arguing instead for a technology-inclusive approach that preserves high-quality jobs in the energy sector while reducing emissions.34
    • Hydrogen Hubs: A flagship initiative of the LEP is the development of a hydrogen and carbon capture and storage (CCS) market hub in the Ohio River Valley. The partnership argues that this region’s rich geological assets, existing industrial infrastructure, and skilled union workforce make it the ideal location for the next generation of clean energy technology.35 This strategy ensures that the “green economy” does not become a low-wage, non-union sector.

Technology and the Future of Work

In response to the rapid proliferation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and automation, the AFL-CIO launched the “Workers First Initiative on AI” in late 2024.36  

    • Strategic Shift: Rather than opposing technology, the initiative demands that unions have a “seat at the table” during the design and deployment phases of AI. The goal is to ensure that technology is used to augment human labor and improve safety, rather than to displace workers or intensify surveillance.37
    • Policy Planks: The initiative calls for collective bargaining over algorithms, transparency in data usage, and the protection of workers’ civil rights against biased automated decision-making. The AFL-CIO Technology Institute serves as the intellectual hub for this work, partnering with universities like Carnegie Mellon to develop “worker-centered” technology standards,.36

International Solidarity Under Siege

The Solidarity Center is the AFL-CIO’s allied non-profit organization dedicated to promoting worker rights globally. Operating in over 60 countries, it helps workers build independent unions and fight forced labor.40

    • The 2025 Funding Crisis: In a dramatic escalation of tensions between the labor movement and the Trump administration, the “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE) abruptly cancelled approximately $577 million in Department of Labor grants in March 2025, labeling international labor programs as “America Last.” These cuts targeted Solidarity Center programs aimed at ending child labor and improving labor standards in supply chains.20
    • The Legal Response: In April 2025, the AFL-CIO, the Solidarity Center, and other NGOs filed a lawsuit challenging the legality of these cuts. They argued that the administration lacked the authority to impound congressionally appropriated funds and that degrading labor standards abroad directly harms U.S. workers by fostering unfair competition based on exploitation.20

Video 4:

Constituency Groups

The AFL-CIO amplifies the voices of diverse communities through its constitutionally recognized Constituency Groups. These organizations bridge the gap between the labor movement and civil rights, feminist, and LGBTQ+ movements, ensuring that the specific concerns of these groups are integrated into labor’s agenda.6

Table 10.1: These groups are not merely symbolic; they have voting representation on the General Board and are critical for mobilizing communities that have historically been marginalized within the labor movement.6

Constituency GroupMission & Recent Activity (2024-2025)
A. Philip Randolph Institute (APRI)An alliance between labor and the civil rights movement. In 2024-2025, APRI focused on voter mobilization in the South and health equity campaigns, such as the “World Heart Day” initiative to fight cardiovascular disease in minority communities.43
Coalition of Labor Union Women (CLUW)Dedicated to empowering women in unions. Their 2025 Biennial Convention in San Diego, themed “Women of the World, UNITE!”, focused on reproductive rights as a workplace issue and closing the gender wage gap.46
Pride at WorkRepresents LGBTQ+ union members. Recent campaigns include advocating for inclusive contract language and partnering with brands to ensure “Pride” campaigns are backed by pro-worker policies rather than “rainbow-washing”.49
Alliance for Retired AmericansMobilizes union retirees to protect Social Security and Medicare. In 2025, they were central to the fight against staffing cuts at Social Security field offices.6
Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA)The first and only national organization of AAPI union members, focusing on organizing and civil rights advocacy within the Asian American community.6
Coalition of Black Trade Unionists (CBTU)A voice for independent Black trade unionists, focusing on economic development and political empowerment within the black community.6

Challenges and Critical Analysis

Despite its vast structure and reunited membership, the AFL-CIO faces persistent internal and external challenges that threaten its efficacy in the 21st century.

The Organizing vs. Politics Critique

A long-standing critique, voiced by groups like Labor Notes and the founders of the original Change to Win coalition, is that the AFL-CIO relies too heavily on political maneuvering at the expense of grassroots organizing. Critics argue that the federation’s goal of organizing “one million workers in 10 years” is mathematically insufficient to keep pace with workforce growth, effectively planning for stagnation.8 

These critics contend that the federation suffers from “Fortress Unionism,” prioritizing the defense of existing contracts and legislative wins over the high-risk, high-reward work of organizing the unorganized in sectors like tech, logistics, and the gig economy. They point to the fact that while “union win rates” in NLRB elections are high, the absolute number of new members is too low to reverse the decline in density.53

The Hostile State

The 2025 political landscape has proven exceptionally hostile. With an administration actively hostile to the administrative state, the AFL-CIO’s traditional reliance on regulatory enforcement (via the NLRB, OSHA, and DOL) is under siege. The federation is forced to spend considerable resources defending the basic machinery of government such as the civil service rather than advancing new gains. The “DOGE” cuts to international programs and the stalling of the PRO Act highlight the limits of labor’s political influence in a polarized era.19

Internal Demographics and Governance

While the Executive Council has strong diversity mandates, the labor movement struggles to shed its image as a bastion of older, industrial workers. The federation’s aggressive pivot to “Future of Work” issues and the elevation of leaders like President Liz Shuler (the first woman to lead the federation) are attempts to align the movement’s face with the reality of a younger, more diverse, and increasingly female workforce.5 However, the tension between the “building trades” conservatism and the “service sector” progressivism remains a dynamic force within the Executive Council’s deliberations.

Conclusion

The AFL-CIO in the mid-2020s serves as a stabilizing force in a volatile economic and political era. Having healed the schism of 2005 with the return of the SEIU, the federation has consolidated the “House of Labor” to a degree not seen in decades. It has successfully integrated complex financial strategies like the Housing Investment Trust with modern policy challenges like Artificial Intelligence.

However, unity alone is not power. The federation’s future relevance depends on its ability to successfully leverage its capital strategies, navigate the existential threat of the “DOGE” agenda, and solve the riddle of organizing at scale in a digital economy. As the central gravity of the American labor movement, the AFL-CIO remains an imperfect but indispensable institution the only body capable of speaking with a singular voice for the diverse and often fractious American working class.

References

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