IBEW Mourns Passing of AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka

IBEW International President Lonnie R. Stephenson issued the following statement regarding the death of AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka:

“The men and women of the IBEW join the entire American labor community in mourning the sudden death of AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka.

“Rich was a lion of the labor movement who rose from humble roots in the Pennsylvania coal mines to lead the greatest organization of working men and women in the world.

“Despite rubbing elbows with presidents and world leaders over the 26 years he served as an elected officer of the AFL-CIO, he never lost sight of the coal miners and working people he grew up with and worked alongside.

“As the youngest president of the United Mine Workers of America at just 33, he began a career of standing up for the overlooked and lifting up the men and women who built America’s middle class.

“At the AFL-CIO, first as secretary-treasurer and then as president since 2009, Rich was a powerful voice on the national stage for the 12.5 million working men and women and the 56 constituent unions he represented.

“You could always count on Rich Trumka to be there when things got tough. His was a voice that spoke truth to power, both in government and in the corporate world. He demanded dignity for workers and held accountable those more concerned with profits than people.

“Rich was a friend to me and to the 775,000 active and retired members of the IBEW. He’ll be dearly missed.”