AFL-CIO President John J. Sweeney to Speak at School of Law April 8
March 28, 2008
Contact: University Relations
Phone: 410.837.5739
John J. Sweeney, president of the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), will discuss the state of working families in America and the future of unions in resurging industries such as steel and energy on Tuesday, April 8, in the University of Baltimore's Langsdale Auditorium. The discussion, beginning at 4 p.m., will inaugurate the annual "Leaders in Labor" lecture series hosted by the University of Baltimore School of Law. The event is free and open to the public. The auditorium is located in the Langsdale Library, at the corner of Maryland Avenue and Oliver Street.
The AFL-CIO is a voluntary federation of 56 national and international labor unions, representing 10.5 million workers. The federation represents a wide array of groups, from teachers to miners, truck drivers to musicians, and together they comprise nearly two-thirds of all organized labor in the United States.
Sweeney was elected president of the AFL-CIO in 1995 and has been re-elected three times since. He recently lobbied Congress for the AFL-CIO on issues as diverse as the Bush administration's economic stimulus package, the ongoing issue of workers' rights, health care for American workers and children, and abuses of labor and human rights in Colombia. Prior to his tenure with the AFL-CIO, Sweeney served as president of the Service Employees International Union. SEIU expanded its membership from 625,000 to 1.1 million members during his tenure.
Sweeney will discuss the current state of organized labor, and consider the prospects of some industries that appearing to be gaining new momentum in a changing global economy, such as steel and energy. Russian steelmaker OAO Sverstal's plan to buy Baltimore's Sparrows Point steel mill and increase its output to maximum volume is an example of a labor issue that some might not have predicted just a few short years ago. Demands for new sources of energy are leading to similar questions about organized labor's role in matters that touch on geopolitics and environmentalism. Clearly, these issues reflect new frontiers for organizations like the AFL-CIO.
Sweeney's talk will launch the School of Law's newest lecture series, "Leaders in Labor." This annual event will bring a speaker to the School of Law each spring to discuss issues relevant to the American labor market. "Leaders in Labor" will be free and open to the public.
The University of Baltimore is a member of the University System of Maryland and comprises the School of Law, the Yale Gordon College of Liberal Arts and the Merrick School of Business.