The 2009 election for the leadership of the

AFL–CIO The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) is a national trade union center that is the largest federation of unions in the United States. It is made up of 61 national and international unions, together r ...

occurred following the announcement of incumbent president John Sweeney's retirement. The election took place during the 26th AFL–CIO National Convention in Pittsburgh. The event was preceded by a 2008 speech at which then-Secretary-Treasurer

Richard Trumka Richard Louis Trumka (July 24, 1949 – August 5, 2021) was an American attorney and organized labor leader. He served as president of the United Mine Workers from 1982 to 1995, and then was secretary-general of the AFL-CIO from 1995 to 2009. He ...

had blasted the perceived racism being directed against 2008 Democratic presidential candidate

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...

,Greenhouse, Steven. "Combative Union Leader Steps From the Shadows."
''New York Times''. July 2, 2009. increasing his profile both inside and outside the labor movement. Trumka, who had served as Secretary-Treasurer since first being elected in 1995, received no contest for the position of president.

Candidates

:Note: Winning candidates are in bold. ; President *

; Secretary-Treasurer *

Liz Shuler Elizabeth H. Shuler (born 1970) is an American labor activist and, since August 5, 2021, President of the AFL–CIO. She is the first woman to be elected president of the federation. Shuler ascended to Acting President of the AFL–CIO on August 5 ...

* Gregory Junemann ; Executive Vice-President * Arlene Holt Baker

Other electees

The total number of vice-presidents of the federation was expanded from 43 (including the Executive Vice-President) to 51. The following were elected to other vice-presidencies besides the Executive Vice-Presidency: * Patrick D. Finley, Plasterers and Cement Masons (OP&CMIA) * Mike Futhey, United Transportation Union (UTU) * Newton Jones, Boilermakers (IBB) * D. Michael Langford, Utility Workers (UWUA) * Robert McEllrath, International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) * Roberta Reardon, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) * John Ryan, Glass, Molders, Pottery, Plastics and Allied Works (GMP) *

DeMaurice Smith DeMaurice F. "De" Smith (born February 3, 1964) is the former executive director of the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA). He was elected unanimously on March 15, 2009. As executive director of the NFLPA during the 2011 NFL lo ...

, Professional Athletes *

Baldemar Velasquez Baldemar Velásquez (born February 15, 1947)''Hispanic Americans Information Directory,'' 1991, p. 408. is an American labor union activist. He co-founded and is president of the Farm Labor Organizing Committee, AFL-CIO. He was named a MacArthur F ...

, Farm Labor Organizing Committee (FLOC) * James Andrews, NC State AFL–CIO * Mark Ayers, Building and Construction Trades Department *

James Boland James Boland (6 October 1856 – 11 March 1895) was a member of the Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB) who was linked to the Irish National Invincibles. He was the father of republican revolutionaries and politicians Harry, Gerald, Ned and Kathl ...

, Bricklayers * R. Thomas Buffenbarger, Machinists *

Larry Cohen Lawrence George Cohen (July 15, 1936 – March 23, 2019) was an American filmmaker. He originally emerged as the writer of blaxploitation films such as ''Black Caesar (film), Black Caesar'' and ''Hell Up in Harlem'' (both 1973), before becomin ...

, Communications Workers of America * RoseAnn DeMoro, National Nurses United *

Maria Elena Durazo Maria may refer to: People * Mary, mother of Jesus * Maria (given name), a popular given name in many languages Place names Extraterrestrial *170 Maria, a Main belt S-type asteroid discovered in 1877 *Lunar maria (plural of ''mare''), large, da ...

, LA County AFL–CIO *

Roy Flores Roy or Roi is a masculine given name and a family surname with varied origins. France In France, this family name originated from the Normans, the descendants of Norse Vikings who migrated to Amigny, a commune in Manche, Normandy.. The deriva ...

, AFGE *

John Gage John Burdette Gage (born October 9, 1942) is a retired computer scientist and technology executive. He was the 5th employee of Sun Microsystems, where he is credited with creating the phrase '' The Network is the Computer''. He served as Sun's ...

, AFGE * Leo W. Gerard, United Steelworkers * Vincent Giblin, Operating Engineers * Michael Goodwin, Office and Professional Employees * Edwin D. Hill, Electrical Workers *

William Hite William is a masculine given name of Germanic origin. It became popular in England after the Norman conquest in 1066,All Things William"Meaning & Origin of the Name"/ref> and remained so throughout the Middle Ages and into the modern era. It is ...

, Plumbers and Pipe Fitters *

General Holiefield General Holiefield (June 6, 1953 – March 9, 2015) was an American labor union leader. Born in Middletown, Ohio, Holiefield was known as "Rob" while growing up, but in adulthood went by his legal name of "General". In 1973, he found work at C ...

, AW *

Ken Howard Kenneth Joseph Howard Jr. (March 28, 1944 – March 23, 2016) was an American actor. He was known for his roles as Thomas Jefferson in ''1776'' (1972) and as high school basketball coach and former Chicago Bulls player Ken Reeves in the televisi ...

, Screen Actors * Richard Hughes, Longshoremen * Frank Hurt, Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers * Lorretta Johnson, AFT * Gregory Junemann, International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers * Bob King, UAW * James Little, Transport Workers *

Matthew Loeb Matthew D. Loeb is an American labor union leader. Loeb joined the United Scenic Artists local of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) in 1989. In 1994, he began working for the union as an international representative ...

, Theatrical Stage Employees * William Lucy, Postal Workers * Gerald W. McEntee, AFSCME * Capt.

Lee Moak Donald Lee Moak (born April 20, 1957) is an expert in aviation safety, consultant, and the co-founder of Intrepid, a public affairs, advocacy, and business consulting firm located in Washington, D.C. He previously served as co-chair of The DOT Sp ...

, Air Line Pilots *

Joseph J. Nigro Joseph J. Nigro (April 27, 1950 – October 24, 2018) was an American labor union leader. Born in Quincy, Massachusetts, Nigro became a sheet metal worker in Boston, and joined the Sheet Metal Workers' International Association. In 2011, he wo ...

, Sheet Metal Workers *

Terry O'Sullivan Terry O'Sullivan (July 7, 1915 – September 14, 2006) was an American actor, best known for his role on the soap opera ''Search for Tomorrow'' as Arthur Tate (1952–1955, 1956–1966). Early years A naive of Kansas City, O'Sullivan was th ...

, LIUNA *

Fred Redmond Frederick D. Redmond is a Black labor union official. Born in Chicago, Redmond began working at the Reynolds Metal Company in 1973. He soon joined the United Steelworkers (USW), becoming president of its Local 3911. In 1998, he began working fo ...

, United Steelworkers * Clyde Rivers, California School Employees Association *

Cecil Roberts Edric Cecil Mornington Roberts (18 May 1892 – 20 December 1976) was an English journalist, poet, dramatist and novelist. He was born and grew up in Nottingham. Working career Roberts published his first volume of poems, with a preface by J ...

, Mine Workers * Fredric Rolando, Letter Carriers *

Michael Sacco Michael Sacco (February 14, 1937 – December 28, 2023) was an American labor leader from Brooklyn, New York. He was appointed as the president of the Seafarers International Union of North America, AFL-CIO in June 1988 by the ''SIUNA Executive ...

, Seafarers *

Lee Saunders Lee A. Saunders is a leader of the organized labor, labor movement in the United States. He was elected to succeed Gerald McEntee, Gerald W. McEntee as President of the 1.6 million-member American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employee ...

, AFSCME * Robert A. Scardelletti, Transportation Communications Union * Harold A. Schaitberger, Fire Fighters * Veda Shook, Flight Attendants-CWA * Bruce Smith, Glass, Molders, Pottery, Plastics and Allied Workers * Robbie Sparks, IBEW *

Randi Weingarten Rhonda "Randi" Weingarten (born December 18, 1957)''Who's Who in America'', 2007. is an American labor leader, attorney, and educator. She has been president of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) since 2008, and is a member of the AFL-CIO ...

, AFT * John Wilhelm, UNITEHERE! * James Williams, Painters and Allied Trades * Walter Wise, Ironworkers * Nancy Wohlforth, OPEIU * Diann Woodard, School Administrators

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:AFL-CIO election, 2009 Trade union elections History of the AFL-CIO 2009 elections in the United States Non-partisan elections 2009 in labor relations