AFL-CIO

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 60 national and international (i.e., including Canada) unions, together representing more than 14 million workers--reaching 45 million people in union households. The AFL-CIO was formed in the 1955 when the AFL and CIO merged after a long estrangement.

In recent years the AFL-CIO has become an even bigger political powerhouse. While the federation represents 13 percent of U.S. workers it mobilizes 26 percent of voters.

Related SourceWatch resources

• National Endowment for Democracy

External Links

• Wikipedia
• Official site
• Beth Sims, "Workers of the World Undermined: American Labor's role in U.S. foreign policy", Third World Traveller, 1992.