Richard Trumka, longtime president of AFL-CIO, dies at 72

By BRIAN SLODYSKO and THOMAS BEAUMONT
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The longtime president of the AFL-CIO labor organization has died at age 72. Richard Trumka had been AFL-CIO president since 2009, after serving as the organization’s secretary-treasurer for 14 years. The AFL-CIO said in a statement Thursday, “The labor movement, the AFL-CIO and the nation lost a legend today.” The organization said Trumka had “devoted his life to working people, from his early days as president of the United Mine Workers of America to his unparalleled leadership as the voice of America’s labor movement.” From his perch as AFL-CIO president, he oversaw a federation with more than 12.5 million members.