Remembering Brother Rich Trumka

(MILWAUKEE, August 5, 2021) – Stephanie Bloomingdale, President of the Wisconsin AFL-CIO, released the following statement on the passing of national AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka:

"Wisconsin’s labor movement was stunned today by the news of the sudden death of national AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka. President Trumka was a tireless champion for working people everywhere. His boundless energy in the fight for workers’ rights was matched by a keen understanding of the issues that impact working families.

When former Governor Scott Walker moved to strip workers of our collective bargaining rights, President Rich Trumka immediately recognized the wider significance of the fight in Wisconsin and offered the resources of the national organization to union members here. More recently, he was pivotal in directing organized labor’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic, fighting to ensure that frontline workers had access to personal protective equipment and other measures to help keep us safe. President Trumka always made it clear that when workers aren't safe, no one is safe. 

We are grateful for President Richard Trumka’s many decades of leadership and heartfelt solidarity to his fellow workers. His fight to give working people in Wisconsin and beyond a voice in our workplaces will continue. Today, however, we pause to salute one of our struggle’s true heroes. We will honor his memory by continuing the work to which he dedicated his life."