AFL-CIO leadership has expressed profound grief following the passing of Alexis Herman, a former U.S. Secretary of Labor. Liz Shuler, the AFL-CIO President, and Fred Redmond, the Secretary-Treasurer, conveyed their sentiments, acknowledging Herman’s impact within the labor movement.
“We join the entire labor movement in mourning the loss of Alexis Herman. Secretary Herman was a trailblazer and relentless advocate for working people who spent her life championing policies that expanded opportunity,” Shuler and Redmond stated.
Herman’s career broke barriers, marked notably by her appointment as the youngest-ever director of the U.S. Women’s Bureau in 1977 under President Carter, followed by her historic role as the first Black American Secretary of Labor under President Clinton in 1997. She was recognized for her efforts to improve wages, enforce safe workplaces, and provide opportunities to marginalized communities.
Her work on global child labor protections, raising the minimum wage, and mediating significant labor disputes are remembered as part of her legacy. “Herman was instrumental in the expansion and enforcement of global child labor protections, raised the minimum wage for workers across the country and skillfully mediated negotiations between the Teamsters and United Parcel Service to resolve the nation’s largest strike in two decades,” the statement noted.
Herman’s dedication to dignity, equity, and fair pay continues to influence the labor movement. “On behalf of the 15 million workers of the AFL-CIO, we extend our deepest condolences to her family and loved ones,” concluded the statement.
