AFL-CIO President Shuler Calls for New Vision for American Foreign Policy

Washington, D.C.—In a call for a paradigm shift in American foreign policy, AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler addressed the Foreign Policy for America Leadership Summit. She critiqued the longstanding neoliberal policies, advocating for a new vision centered on working people's needs.

In her address, Shuler outlined four foundational pillars for a revamped American foreign policy. These include ensuring economic opportunity for all, developing a trade model focused on workers, empowering workers in shaping future technologies, and recognizing that wars benefit no working individuals. Shuler highlighted, “unions have always seen tariffs as one of the tools in our trade policy tool box,” emphasizing that trade should not be viewed simply as free trade versus protectionism. Instead, the focus should be on whom trade serves.

Shuler concluded by reinforcing the role of labor unions as "champions of democracy," urging a mass movement to endorse policies that empower workers, underpinning her message with, “Build a mass movement in this moment, pass policies that empower us, and we will prove it again.”

Shuler's Address Highlights

Representing 15 million workers, Shuler expressed concerns about America's current foreign policy impacts, particularly on ordinary workers across various sectors. She pointed out the effects of global conflicts and trade policies on the American workforce's daily lives. This offers a significant opportunity for the labor movement to make impactful contributions.

Shuler emphasized the erosion of post-war multilateral systems, resulting in disillusioned populations increasingly turning to far-right populists. This creates a choice between a dark path led by authoritarianism or fostering a renewed belief in democracy driven by people's needs.

Shuler proposed a model with four pillars to establish a new global economy benefitting everyone:

1. Economic Opportunity for All: Shuler criticized current tax policies, advocating for progressive measures ensuring the fair taxation of wealth and multinational corporations. She stressed the need to address power imbalances hindering wealth creation for many.

2. A Worker-Centric Trade Model: The AFL-CIO supports tariffs as a strategic tool, emphasizing visionary trade policies that consider workers' and the planet's needs. Shuler urged for investment in critical industries alongside tariff implementations.

3. Workers' Role in Technology: The labor movement seeks to integrate workers' needs in technological advancements, advocating for regulatory safeguards, especially around AI. Shuler called for labor market policies supporting union formation to negotiate technology's workplace implementation.

4. Understanding Conflict Impact: Acknowledging conflicts' detrimental effects, Shuler called for a ceasefire in Gaza, peace in Ukraine, and global remembrance of conflicts' toll on working families.

Shuler's address underscored the necessity for novel thinking, highlighting the labor movement's historical role in combatting authoritarianism worldwide. Her vision encourages a mass movement toward policies empowering workers, reinforcing democracy's strength.

For more information, contact Mia Jacobs at 202-637-5018.