--- title: Fred Redmond on labor rights, tariffs and political shifts description: The America’s Work Force Union Podcast is the nation’s premier daily labor program. Fred Redmond from the AFL-CIO joined us on today’s show. image: https://awf.labortools.com/hubfs/AFL%20CIO%20blue%20mic.jpg --- 1 min read Season 6, Episode 68 # Fred Redmond on labor rights, tariffs and political shifts [ awfblog ](https://awf.labortools.com/listen/author/awfblog) April 4, 2025 [America's Work Force Union Podcast](https://awf.labortools.com/listen/tag/americas-work-force-union-podcast) [AFL-CIO](https://awf.labortools.com/listen/tag/afl-cio) [AWF](https://awf.labortools.com/listen/tag/awf) ![AFL-CIO-Logo_400x400](https://awf.labortools.com/hs-fs/hubfs/AmericasWorkForce/podcast%20logos/AFL-CIO-Logo_400x400.jpeg?width=400&height=400&name=AFL-CIO-Logo_400x400.jpeg)   Guest Name: --- Fred Redmond Guest Website: --- [AFL-CIO](https://aflcio.org/)  Guest Social Media: --- [ Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/aflcio) [ Twitter](https://twitter.com/AFLCIO) [ YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/aflcio) [ LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/afl-cio/) Supportive Documents: --- Fred Redmond, Secretary-Treasurer of the [AFL-CIO](https://aflcio.org/), joined the America's Work Force Union Podcast to discuss the intersection of labor and civil rights, the implications of recent tariffs and the political shifts evident in recent elections.  Redmond underscored the historical connection between labor and civil rights, referencing Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s advocacy for both movements. He stressed the importance of speaking out against injustices and drawing parallels between past and present struggles. Redmond argued that the labor movement must continue to be a vocal advocate for equality and justice, as these issues remain deeply interconnected. Next, Redmond criticized the recent tariffs imposed by the Trump administration. He argued that while targeted tariffs can address specific issues like steel dumping, a broad application burdens American families. Redmond warned that such measures could lead to increased costs for everyday goods, affecting the economy and workers' livelihoods across various sectors. Finally, Redmond highlighted the political shifts seen in recent elections, particularly in Wisconsin and Florida. He believes these outcomes were caused by voters rejecting the influence of wealthy individuals like Elon Musk on American politics. Redmond suggested that these results indicate a growing public resistance to the current administration's policies and a desire for change, as voters increasingly recognize the impact of political decisions on their daily lives. Listen to the full episode above for more from Redmond. --- America’s Work Force is the only daily labor podcast in the US and has been on the air since 1993, supplying listeners with useful, relevant input into their daily lives through fact-finding features, in-depth interviews, informative news segments and practical consumer reports. America’s Work Force is committed to providing an accessible venue in which America's workers and their families can hear discussion on important, relevant topics such as employment, healthcare, legislative action, labor-management relations, corporate practices, finances, local and national politics, consumer reports and labor issues. America’s Work Force Union Podcast is brought to you in part by our sponsors: AFL-CIO, American Federation of Government Employees, American Federation of Musicians Local 4, Alliance for American Manufacturing, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes-IBT, Boyd Watterson, Columbus/Central Ohio Building and Construction Trades Council, Communication Workers of America, Mechanical Insulators Labor Management Cooperative Trust, International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers Local 50, International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers, International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Crafts, International Union of Painters and Allied Trades District Council 6, Ironworkers Great Lakes District Council, Melwood, The Labor Citizen newspaper, Laborers International Union of North America, The National Labor Office of Blue Cross and Blue Shield, North Coast Area Labor Federation, Ohio Federation of Teachers, United Labor Agency, United Steelworkers. - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) ##### SUBSCRIBE ON: --- [![Group 342](https://awf.labortools.com/hs-fs/hubfs/AmericasWorkForce/podcast%20logos/Apple%20Podcasts%20Button-Dark.png?width=171&name=Apple%20Podcasts%20Button-Dark.png)](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/americas-work-force-union-podcast/id1511224946) [![Group 341](https://awf.labortools.com/hs-fs/hubfs/AmericasWorkForce/podcast%20logos/Spotify%20Button-Dark.png?width=100&name=Spotify%20Button-Dark.png)](https://open.spotify.com/show/0GzkHxFSBxiXvuX0lZpQBn) [![Group 343](https://awf.labortools.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Group%20343.png?width=135&name=Group%20343.png)](https://www.iheart.com/podcast/americas-work-force-union-podcast-62567752/) [![Group 339](https://awf.labortools.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Group%20339.png?width=110&name=Group%20339.png)](https://www.pandora.com/podcast/americas-work-force-union-podcast/PC:47979) [![Group 397](https://awf.labortools.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Group%20397.png?width=125&name=Group%20397.png)](https://americasworkforceradiopodcast.podbean.com/) [![Group 397](https://awf.labortools.com/hs-fs/hubfs/YouTube_button.png?width=125&name=YouTube_button.png)](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuQo1PAtRAel1_tS7-PQOkA)   #### [Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen on the Union Pacific Merger Threat](https://awf.labortools.com/listen/brotherhood-of-railroad-signalmen-on-the-union-pacific-merger-threat) : July 6, 2026 # Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen on the Union Pacific Merger Threat Brandon Elvey, Secretary-Treasurer of the [Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen](https://www.brs.org/),... [Read More](https://awf.labortools.com/listen/brotherhood-of-railroad-signalmen-on-the-union-pacific-merger-threat) #### [AFL-CIO's Fred Redmond on the Convention, AI and America at 250](https://awf.labortools.com/listen/afl-cios-fred-redmond-on-the-convention-ai-and-america-at-250) : July 3, 2026 # AFL-CIO's Fred Redmond on the Convention, AI and America at 250 Fred Redmond, Secretary-Treasurer of the [AFL-CIO](https://awf.labortools.com/), joined the [America's Work Force...](https://awf.labortools.com/) [Read More](https://awf.labortools.com/listen/afl-cios-fred-redmond-on-the-convention-ai-and-america-at-250) #### [C/COBCTC's Dorsey Hager on Drones, Data Centers and Growth](https://awf.labortools.com/listen/c/cobctcs-dorsey-hager-on-drones-data-centers-and-growth) : July 2, 2026 # Dorsey Hager on Drones, Data Centers and Central Ohio's Building Boom Dorsey Hager, Executive Secretary-Treasurer of the [Columbus/Central Ohio...](https://columbusconstruction.org/) [Read More](https://awf.labortools.com/listen/c/cobctcs-dorsey-hager-on-drones-data-centers-and-growth) ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "awfblog", "url" : "https://awf.labortools.com/listen/author/awfblog" }, "dateModified" : "2025-04-04T20:29:17.433Z", "datePublished" : "2025-04-04T20:29:17.000Z", "headline" : "Fred Redmond on labor rights, tariffs and political shifts", "image" : [ "https://awf.labortools.com/hubfs/AFL%20CIO%20blue%20mic.jpg" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://awf.labortools.com/listen/fred-redmond-on-labor-rights-tariffs-and-political-shifts", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://awf.labortools.com/hubfs/labor-tools-logo-white.png" }, "name" : "BMA Media" } } ```