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AFL-CIO: Labor Movement Promotes Majorities in Congress in Favor of Workers
WASHINGTON, Nov. 6 -- The AFL-CIO issued the following news release:
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Labor movement promotes majorities in Congress in favor of workers
November 5, 2026
The largest midterm electoral program in AFL-CIO history mobilized working-class voters in key elections
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(Washington, D.C.) -- Labor union voters mobilized in historic figures to achieve victories in electoral contests at all levels across the country, including a record number of elected candidates who are members of unions. This is due to the AFL-CIO's organizing program for the largest midterm elections in history, focused exclusively
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WASHINGTON, Nov. 6 -- The AFL-CIO issued the following news release:
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Labor movement promotes majorities in Congress in favor of workers
November 5, 2026
The largest midterm electoral program in AFL-CIO history mobilized working-class voters in key elections
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(Washington, D.C.) -- Labor union voters mobilized in historic figures to achieve victories in electoral contests at all levels across the country, including a record number of elected candidates who are members of unions. This is due to the AFL-CIO's organizing program for the largest midterm elections in history, focused exclusivelyon the economic issues that voters identified as their top priority.
During the 30th AFL-CIO Constitutional Convention, held in June, the country's largest labor federation set a goal of mobilizing at least 2 million more union voters in these elections than in 2022. To achieve this, the AFL-CIO mobilized tens of thousands of volunteers who reached more than 16 million union voters. The federation's program made a special effort to contact millions of voters who had not actively participated in the electoral process, many of whom lived in homes with members of a labor union, but had never before been contacted by a union volunteer.
As a direct result of this work, union voters went to the polls in historical figures. Polls at the polls showed that, nationally, households with union members favored Democrats over Republicans by a margin of 21 percentage points, which decisively influenced the results that determined congressional control.
"This blue wave was made possible by the labor unions. The billionaires had the money in this election, but the workers had the power," said Liz Shuler, president of the AFL-CIO. "The people who keep this country going sent a clear mandate. With one voice, workers demanded that their elected representatives fight to raise their wages and reduce costs, expand access to health care and unions, hold billionaire CEOs to account, and curb the Trump administration's attacks on their freedoms. The labor movement is ready to work with new members of Congress, governors and state legislators on an ambitious agenda that generates real changes for the working class."
The AFL-CIO program operated in 35 states and promoted historical election results:
* 639 members of labor unions have been elected so far, meaning that next year there will be a record number of union members in public office. Troy Jackson in Maine, Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan, Gina Hinojosa and James Talarico in Texas, Bob Brooks in Pennsylvania, Brian Poindexter in Ohio, Sam Forstag in Montana and many other prominent candidates are active members of unions.
* The labor movement's infrastructure, present nationwide and active throughout the year, also contributed to other historic election victories for governors and Congress, including those of Jon Ossoff and Keisha Lance Bottoms in Georgia, Josh Turek and Rob Sand in Iowa, Adam Hamilton in Kansas, Sherrod Brown and Amy Acton in Ohio, Annie Andrews in South Carolina, as well as in House districts.
* Workers overcame decades of brutal attacks on their rights to transform state governments across the country. They achieved control of the governorship and both legislative chambers in Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, and regained control of state legislatures in North Carolina and Georgia. Union voters also broke seven legislative supermajorities in Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Ohio and South Carolina.
The voter turnout of union members was the result of years of organization and direct contact with voters, including:
* A digital and streaming platform campaign of more than a million dollars, aimed specifically at members of unions and their homes in 39 key contests for the House and Senate. The ads featured the voices of real union members and generated more than 221 million unique impressions across all contests, with a full viewing rate of between 65% and 72%, demonstrating a high level of interaction with content.
* The AFL-CIO began, from the beginning of 2025, to organize and talk with workers about the economic difficulties they faced under President Trump's economy, even in the most disputed states. Through the Department of People Working to Earn Life, a 26-state bus tour and intensive door-to-door visit days in key districts during the spring of 2026, union members established and strengthened relationships through constant and sustained contact with voters across the country.
* Since Labor Day, union volunteers have reached out to 14.9 million voters through door-to-door visits, phone calls and workplace conversations to secure support for a Congress that defends workers. Each conversation was of special value because of the high level of trust that the families of the unions deposit in other union members, who, according to the investigations, are among the most credible messengers in the country. Union voters were also among the most excited to go to the polls. 83% of union members said they were "very motivated" to vote, up 10 percentage points from 2022.
* Union P.O.W.E.R., an election protection program present in all 50 states, trained more than 30,000 union volunteers and deployed 54 electoral protection coordinators in all 50 states, Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico. In addition, he sent dozens of union attorneys to 24 states facing specific threats from the Trump administration. These lawyers and volunteers were present on the campaign trail during the weeks leading up to the election and Election Day itself, and will continue to work to ensure that each vote is counted.
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Original text here: https://aflcio.org/press/releases/movimiento-laboral-impulsa-mayorias-en-el-congreso-favor-de-los-trabajadores
[Category: Union]
TWU Opposes Amtrak Passengers Bringing Guns on Trains Starting Next Year
WASHINGTON, Nov. 5 [Category: Union] -- The Transport Workers Union of America issued the following news release:
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TWU Opposes Amtrak Passengers Bringing Guns on Trains Starting Next Year
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The Transport Workers Union is blasting a new Amtrak policy now scheduled for January 2027 that officially permits passengers to bring their guns on board in personal lock boxes as "lunacy." Amtrak previously said it was considering the policy change but did not announce a timeline.
Under the new policy, gun owners could bring their weapons in cases to an Amtrak station agent, who would add an Amtrak
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WASHINGTON, Nov. 5 [Category: Union] -- The Transport Workers Union of America issued the following news release:
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TWU Opposes Amtrak Passengers Bringing Guns on Trains Starting Next Year
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The Transport Workers Union is blasting a new Amtrak policy now scheduled for January 2027 that officially permits passengers to bring their guns on board in personal lock boxes as "lunacy." Amtrak previously said it was considering the policy change but did not announce a timeline.
Under the new policy, gun owners could bring their weapons in cases to an Amtrak station agent, who would add an Amtrakcombination lock. Passengers could then board with their weapons. The station agent at the passengers' arrival stations would then remove the Amtrak lock.
"You can't walk onto a plane with a gun; it has to be checked with your luggage and stowed away," TWU International Rail Division Director John Feltz said. "So why allow guns in passenger cars on trains where there are also passengers in confined spaces? This is sheer lunacy."
Feltz added: "A case or lock could be defective, or an enraged rider could use brute force to access a weapon. Either scenario will endanger the lives of riders and our members working on trains."
Current Amtrak policy allows riders to transport their guns on a few dozen long-distance trains, with weapons stored in secure baggage cars. The new policy, scheduled to take effect in January, would allow passengers to take guns to their seats in lockboxes on another 1,500 trains a day across the country, including on the Northeast Corridor, TWU International Staff Representative Brian DeLucia said
Feltz called on the federal government to reverse course and ensure that firearms are kept in secure locations outside of Amtrak passenger cars. Today, many stations now don't have any Amtrak or law enforcement presence. When something goes wrong because of this policy, there may not be any personnel available to prevent disaster.
TWU Local 1460 represents Amtrak on-board service workers, including train attendants and cafe staff.
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Original text here: https://www.twu.org/twu-opposes-amtrak-passengers-bringing-guns-on-trains-starting-next-year/
NEA: Voters Choose a More Affordable Future, Strong Public Schools and Safer Communities
WASHINGTON, Nov. 5 -- The National Education Association issued the following news release:
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Voters choose a more affordable future, strong public schools and safer communities
Educators help elect a new majority in U.S. Senate and House, flip key governorships and state chambers
By: Miguel A. Gonzalez
November 3, 2026
WASHINGTON -- On Election Day, voters sent an unequivocal message at the polls: Americans want a new direction that puts working families and students first. Across the country, they elected leaders committed to a more affordable future, stronger public schools, and safer
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WASHINGTON, Nov. 5 -- The National Education Association issued the following news release:
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Voters choose a more affordable future, strong public schools and safer communities
Educators help elect a new majority in U.S. Senate and House, flip key governorships and state chambers
By: Miguel A. Gonzalez
November 3, 2026
WASHINGTON -- On Election Day, voters sent an unequivocal message at the polls: Americans want a new direction that puts working families and students first. Across the country, they elected leaders committed to a more affordable future, stronger public schools, and saferschools and communities. Educators also helped deliver major electoral gains, shifting control of the U.S. Senate and House, holding or flipping key gubernatorial and state races, and winning important state chambers and legislative contests.
The following statement can be attributed to National Education Association President Princess Moss:
"Across the nation, most Americans want the same thing -- a more affordable future, strong public schools and safer communities. And they're ready to slam the door on corruption and self-dealing. Tonight, voters came together across race, place and gender and sent a clear message and mandate: put working families, students and educators first and deliver for our communities, not billionaires and corporations.
"For NEA and its members, this election was about the second grader sitting in an overcrowded classroom, about the teacher working two jobs to make ends meet and the bus driver who can't afford health care for her own kids. It's about parents paying more for groceries, gas and school supplies, and still falling behind. It's about students too afraid of masked immigration agents to go to school. We cannot afford to continue in this direction.
"Educators showed up in every corner of the country -- in cities, suburbs, small towns and rural communities. Our 3 million members, from teachers and paraprofessionals to bus drivers and cafeteria workers, led the way by knocking on doors, making phone calls and talking with their neighbors on behalf of students and their families. The resounding winners in key races tonight were working families, public schools and democracy.
"Now we get to work. We stand ready to partner with anyone -- regardless of political affiliation -- who shares the same values as our educators, students and their families. This means stopping the dismantling of public education; standing against voucher schemes that drain resources from public schools that serve 90% of students; making sure that students and families have access to the services they rely on, such as food assistance programs; and creating schools and communities where every student feels safe and welcome. Americans voted on the issues that matter most to them. We're ready deliver real results."
About NEA's member-to-member voter turnout program.
NEA runs one of the largest voter contact and turnout programs in the country.
NEA has nearly 3 million -members, with affiliates in every state and in more than 14,000 communities across the United States. Nearly one in every 100 Americans is a member of the NEA. One in 40 voters is an NEA member.
In the run-up to Election Day, NEA members dedicated their evenings and weekends to phone banking, knocking on doors, and texting for candidates who support students and public education.
Educators, who are trusted messengers and reliable campaign volunteers, shared what they see in their classrooms every day:
* Students and families struggling with the rising cost of groceries, gas and health care.
* Deep cuts to programs like SNAP and Medicaid are playing out in school cafeterias and nurses' offices.
* The fear and disruption that ICE actions bring into school communities.
At the same time, the Trump administration and its allies have pushed private school vouchers, rolled back workers' rights and tightened rules on voting.
Programming note:
NEA President Princess Moss is available to elaborate on the role that educators played in this election cycle. Contact mgonzalez@nea.org or 202-491-9532.
In the next few days, NEA will provide additional analysis on how its members voted in key elections as well as highlight the races -- including those in which NEA members ran -- that mattered to education voters from state houses to governorships to the U.S. Congress.
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Original text here: https://www.nea.org/about-nea/media-center/press-releases/voters-choose-more-affordable-future-strong-public-schools-and-safer-communities
[Category: Union]
AFSCME President Patrick Moran: The Mandate for Congress is Clear - Lower Costs and Support Workers
WASHINGTON, Nov. 5 -- The AFL-CIO AFSCME (American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees) issued the following news release:
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November 4, 2026
AFSCME President Patrick Moran: The mandate for Congress is clear: lower costs and support workers
WASHINGTON - After more than a year of organizing and mobilizing against anti-worker politicians and their billionaire backers, AFSCME President Patrick Moran released the following statement applauding the election of a pro-worker majority in the House of Representatives, a victory made possible through the intense activism of working
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Nov. 5 -- The AFL-CIO AFSCME (American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees) issued the following news release:
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November 4, 2026
AFSCME President Patrick Moran: The mandate for Congress is clear: lower costs and support workers
WASHINGTON - After more than a year of organizing and mobilizing against anti-worker politicians and their billionaire backers, AFSCME President Patrick Moran released the following statement applauding the election of a pro-worker majority in the House of Representatives, a victory made possible through the intense activism of workingpeople and union members across the country:
"This election victory was defined by a single issue - the fact that working families can't get ahead, no matter how hard they work. Voters sent a clear message tonight that they are fed up with a rigged economy that cuts taxes for billionaires and asks the rest of us to foot the bill. They are fed up with rising costs and attacks on critical public services, our freedom to vote and our voice on the job. This victory gives Congress a clear mandate: It's time to lower costs, rein in billionaires, and support workers.
"AFSCME members have spent the last two years organizing for this moment to elect pro-worker candidates who will focus on lowering costs and investing in our communities. From holding town halls and press conferences, to writing letters and knocking on doors, we worked relentlessly to hold accountable the anti-worker extremists who sold out working families.
"Now it's time for these candidates to deliver change. The House must use every tool at its disposal to address the cost-of-living crisis, strengthen workers' voice on the job, restore cuts to critical services like healthcare, and make it easier for all of us to thrive. AFSCME members expect action."
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AFSCME's 1.4 million members provide the vital services that make America happen. With members in communities across the nation, serving in hundreds of different occupations -- from nurses to corrections officers, childcare providers to sanitation workers -- AFSCME advocates for fairness in the workplace, excellence in public services and freedom and opportunity for all working families.
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Original text here: https://afscme.org/press/releases/patrick-moran-the-mandate-for-congress-is-clear-lower-costs-and-support-workers/
[Category: Union]
AFSCME President Patrick Moran Congratulates Dr. Richard Pan, a Card-carrying AFSCME Member, on His Election to Congress
WASHINGTON, Nov. 5 -- The AFL-CIO AFSCME (American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees) issued the following news release:
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November 4, 2026
AFSCME President Patrick Moran congratulates Dr. Richard Pan, a card-carrying AFSCME member, on his election to Congress
Dr. Richard Pan is a pediatrician and a member of the Union of American Physicians and Dentists (UAPD), an AFSCME affiliate. He will represent California's 6th Congressional District following a member-driven grassroots campaign
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WASHINGTON - AFSCME President Patrick Moran released the following statement celebrating
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Nov. 5 -- The AFL-CIO AFSCME (American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees) issued the following news release:
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November 4, 2026
AFSCME President Patrick Moran congratulates Dr. Richard Pan, a card-carrying AFSCME member, on his election to Congress
Dr. Richard Pan is a pediatrician and a member of the Union of American Physicians and Dentists (UAPD), an AFSCME affiliate. He will represent California's 6th Congressional District following a member-driven grassroots campaign
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WASHINGTON - AFSCME President Patrick Moran released the following statement celebratingDr. Richard Pan's victory in the race to represent California's 6th Congressional District:
"Dr. Richard Pan is exactly the kind of leader we need more of in Congress: a union member who knows workers' struggles and will act on their behalf now. He understands our healthcare system and the doctors, nurses, therapists and EMTs who keep it all running - because he's one of them. Dr. Pan is committed to reversing devastating Medicaid cuts that are putting access to healthcare out of reach for too many. And he will fight to save our hospitals and the critical healthcare jobs that are at risk of being lost. AFSCME members are proud to have worked tirelessly on the campaign trail to give our union brother, Dr. Pan, the opportunity to stand up for us in Congress. Because when we fight together, we win together and make a real difference for our communities."
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AFSCME's 1.4 million members provide the vital services that make America happen. With members in communities across the nation, serving in hundreds of different occupations -- from nurses to corrections officers, childcare providers to sanitation workers -- AFSCME advocates for fairness in the workplace, excellence in public services and freedom and opportunity for all working families.
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Original text here: https://afscme.org/press/releases/afscme-pres-patrick-moran-congratulates-dr-richard-pan-a-card-carrying-afscme-member-on-his-election-to-congress/
[Category: Union]
AFL-CIO: Labor Movement Organizing Powers Pro-Worker Majorities in Congress
WASHINGTON, Nov. 5 -- The AFL-CIO issued the following news release:
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Labor Movement Organizing Powers Pro-Worker Majorities in Congress
November 4, 2026
The AFL-CIO's Largest-Ever Midterm Program Turned Out Working-Class Voters in Key Elections
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(Washington, D.C.)--Union voters mobilized in historic numbers to secure sweeping landmark victories up and down the ballot across the country, including a record number of union member candidates elected to office. The organizing was driven by the AFL-CIO's largest-ever midterm mobilization, with a singular focus on the pocketbook issues voters
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Nov. 5 -- The AFL-CIO issued the following news release:
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Labor Movement Organizing Powers Pro-Worker Majorities in Congress
November 4, 2026
The AFL-CIO's Largest-Ever Midterm Program Turned Out Working-Class Voters in Key Elections
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(Washington, D.C.)--Union voters mobilized in historic numbers to secure sweeping landmark victories up and down the ballot across the country, including a record number of union member candidates elected to office. The organizing was driven by the AFL-CIO's largest-ever midterm mobilization, with a singular focus on the pocketbook issues voterssaid were their top priority.
At the 30th AFL-CIO Constitutional Convention in June, the nation's largest labor federation set a goal of turning out at least 2 million more union voters in this election than in 2022. To reach that, AFL-CIO turned out tens of thousands of volunteers, who reached more than 16 million union voters. The program made a concerted effort by reaching out to several million disengaged voters, many of whom lived in a union member's household but had never previously been contacted by a union volunteer.
As a direct result of this work, union voters turned out in historic numbers. Exit polls showed union households voted 21 points more for Democrats than Republicans nationwide, shaping results that were decisive for control of Congress.
"This blue wave was union-made. The billionaires had the money in this election, but working people had the power," said AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler. "The people who make this country run issued a clear mandate last night. Speaking with a unified voice, workers demanded that their elected leaders fight to raise their wages and lower costs, expand access to health care and unions, hold billionaire CEOs accountable, and check the Trump administration's attacks on their freedoms. The labor movement is ready to work with these newly elected members of Congress, governors and state legislators on a bold agenda to deliver real change for the working class."
The AFL-CIO's program operated in 35 states and powered watershed election results:
* 639 union members and counting have been elected--which means a record high number of union members will be seated in elected office next year. Troy Jackson in Maine, Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan, Gina Hinojosa and James Talarico in Texas, Bob Brooks in Pennsylvania, Brian Poindexter in Ohio, Sam Forstag in Montana and many other prominent candidates are card-carrying union members.
* The labor movement's deep, year-round, nationwide infrastructure was behind further historic gubernatorial and congressional victories: Jon Ossoff and Keisha Lance Bottoms in Georgia, Josh Turek and Rob Sand in Iowa, Adam Hamilton in Kansas, Sherrod Brown and Amy Acton in Ohio, Annie Andrews in South Carolina, as well as House districts.
* Working people overcame decades of brutal attacks on their rights to overhaul state governments across the country. They won trifectas in Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, and took back the statehouses in North Carolina and Georgia. Union voters broke seven legislative supermajorities in Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Ohio and South Carolina.
Union voter turnout was built through years of organizing and outreach, including:
* A seven-figure paid digital and streaming media campaign that hyper-targeted union members and households in 39 key House and Senate races. The ads featured real union members' voices that generated more than 221 million unique impressions across all races, with a 65% to 72% completion rate, showing strong engagement with the content.
* The AFL-CIO wasted no time in organizing and talking to working people about the pain they were feeling under President Trump's economy--including in battleground states--kicking off at the beginning of 2025. Through our Department of People Who Work for a Living field hearings, a 26-state bus tour and door-to-door blitzes in key districts in spring 2026, union members built and deepened relationships through consistent, ongoing engagement with voters across the country.
* Since Labor Day, union volunteers have reached 14.9 million voters at the door, on the phone and in the worksite to solidify support for a pro-worker Congress. Every conversation had unique value, given the high degree of trust union families have with union members, who research shows are among the most credible messengers in the country. Union voters also were among the most enthusiastic in the nation to go to the polls. 83% of union members reported being "very motivated" to vote, a 10-point increase from 2022.
* Union P.O.W.E.R., a 50-state election protection program, trained more than 30,000 union volunteers, deployed 54 election protection coordinators across all 50 states and Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico, along with dozens of highly trained union lawyers to 24 states under particular threat from the Trump administration. These lawyers and volunteers were on the ground in the weeks leading up to and on Election Day, and they will continue to work in the field to ensure every ballot is counted.
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Original text here: https://aflcio.org/press/releases/labor-movement-organizing-powers-pro-worker-majorities-congress
[Category: Union]
AFL-CIO: 'The Blue Wave Is Union-Made'
WASHINGTON, Nov. 5 -- The AFL-CIO issued the following news release:
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AFL-CIO: 'The Blue Wave Is Union-Made'
November 3, 2026
Union Voters and Candidates Drive Historic Victories that Were Decisive in Control of Congress
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AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler issued the following statement on the 2026 midterm election results, which saw the election of pro-worker majorities for the next Congress, including a record number of union member candidates:
This blue wave is union-made. Tonight, working people voted in massive numbers to take our power back from the Trump administration and its billionaire
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Nov. 5 -- The AFL-CIO issued the following news release:
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AFL-CIO: 'The Blue Wave Is Union-Made'
November 3, 2026
Union Voters and Candidates Drive Historic Victories that Were Decisive in Control of Congress
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AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler issued the following statement on the 2026 midterm election results, which saw the election of pro-worker majorities for the next Congress, including a record number of union member candidates:
This blue wave is union-made. Tonight, working people voted in massive numbers to take our power back from the Trump administration and its billionaireallies, hold wealthy elites accountable, and build the economy we deserve.
Across the country, working people organized and turned out to elect candidates who will put us first by fighting alongside us to lower costs, raise wages, create an economy that actually works for working people, and put a check on the Trump administration's attacks on our freedoms. Voters also elected a record number of union members, who share our values and bring their lived experience as workers to Congress and state legislatures. We are thrilled to celebrate our union brothers' and sisters' victories, and we look forward to taking the power of union solidarity to Congress.
This was the largest midterm mobilization in the labor movement's history. For months, the labor movement mobilized tens of thousands of uniquely trusted volunteers to reach more than 16 million union voters in swing states and districts across the country at the doors, on phones, and at worksites. Exit polls show union households voted 21 points more for Democrats than Republicans nationwide, driving victories that were decisive for control of Congress. Union voters made up a historic high of 15% of the overall electorate, and even higher in key battleground states--a direct result of the AFL-CIO's commitment to turn out millions more union members in 2026.
The Trump administration did everything it could to control the results of this election. Change the ID laws. Purge the voting lists. Mess with mail-in ballots. Harass and intimidate voters--especially immigrants and people of color--to scare people away from the polls. And they redrew maps. It did not work. We are celebrating tonight, but this election is not over until every voice is heard and every vote is counted. We demand the Trump administration and federal agencies to respect the will of the people, rule of law and our constitutional freedoms.
This election was a watershed moment for working people and our families--but we know the hard work has just begun. The mandate from the American people to the new Congress is clear: Get to work ending the status quo that has for too long benefited the wealthy and build an economy that works for the people who make this country run.
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Original text here: https://aflcio.org/press/releases/afl-cio-blue-wave-union-made
[Category: Union]
