One of the labor movement's great leaders, AFL-CIO President Rich Trumka, has died of a heart attack. He was 72. Since his election in 2009, Trumka moved organized labor closer to progressive organizations and positions, despite some resistance from more conservative elements of the labor movement (e.g., International Union of Police Associations). Trumka had risen through the ranks of the labor movement, beginning as a coal miner in Pennsylvania (the son of a coal miner) and later heading the United Mine Workers of America.
This Hackwhacker had the privilege of knowing Rich socially as part of a quintet of guys who gathered in my neighbor's house on occasion to talk and enjoy a beer (although Rich's preference was mineral water and a cigar). Despite his national prominence, he was as down-to-earth as could be, often regaling us with stories and vignettes from his beloved Pennsylvania coal country (often about his "pappy"), and the rough-and-tumble world of Washington politics. He was a truly good man, and his loss is a great one personally and for the nation.
BONUS: Sen. Schumer's remarks --
.@SenSchumer on death of Richard Trumka: "The working people of America have lost a fierce warrior at a time when we needed him most...we have lost a giant." pic.twitter.com/aUdE24qUrG
— CSPAN (@cspan) August 5, 2021
(photo: AFL-CIO)
