IFPTE Attends First-ever AFL-CIO Earth Day Event

IFPTE Attends First-ever AFLCIO Earth Day Event 

AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler and Secretary-Treasurer Fred Redmond convened over 100 union activists, environmental experts, civil rights leaders and other allies to celebrate the 54th anniversary of Earth Day. The event marked the first time that the American labor movement has gathered on Earth Day to recognize the shared goals of improving our environment, lifting under-represented communities and creating good union jobs. Shuler called on those in the standing-room-only crowd to take action, saying, “We can define the future that we want to see, and the labor movement is ready to fight on all fronts for that vision of a better tomorrow.” Secretary-Treasurer Redmond, who followed his father’s footsteps in becoming a labor leader, recalled the advice he received when he joined the union. “My dad told me to stand up for those at the mill who were traditionally overlooked,” Redmond said. “He encouraged me not just to fight for a bigger labor movement, but also for a better labor movement that was more representative of our nation.” The event included three panels, which discussed issues ranging from climate effects on worker health to historic investments by the Biden-Harris administration that will help at-risk communities prepare for rising temperatures.