--- title: How Redmond grew to be one of the most influential people in labor description: The America’s Work Force Union Podcast is the nation’s premier daily labor program. Fred Redmond of the AFL-CIO joined us on today’s show. image: https://awf.labortools.com/hubfs/AFL%20CIO%20blue%20mic.jpg --- [![America's Work Force Union Podcast](https://awf.labortools.com/hs-fs/hubfs/AmericasWorkForce/Group%20261.png?width=355&height=133&name=Group%20261.png) ![America's Work Force Union Podcast](https://awf.labortools.com/hs-fs/hubfs/AmericasWorkForce/Group%20261.png?width=334&height=125&name=Group%20261.png) ](https://awf.labortools.com) - [ About ](https://awf.labortools.com/about) - [ Guest Form ](https://awf.labortools.com/guest-form) - [ Sponsors ](https://awf.labortools.com/sponsors) - [ Become A Sponsor ](https://awf.labortools.com/become-a-sponsor) - [ Contact ](https://awf.labortools.com/contact) - [ Subscribe ](https://awf.labortools.com/listen/how-redmond-grew-to-be-one-of-the-most-influential-people-in-labor#) - [![](https://awf.labortools.com/hubfs/apple-podcasts.png)Apple Podcasts ](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/americas-work-force-union-podcast/id1511224946) - [![](https://awf.labortools.com/hubfs/spotify.png)Spotify ](https://open.spotify.com/show/0GzkHxFSBxiXvuX0lZpQBn) - [![](https://awf.labortools.com/hubfs/iheartradio.png)iHeart Radio ](https://www.iheart.com/podcast/americas-work-force-union-podcast-62567752/) - [![](https://awf.labortools.com/hubfs/pandora-1.png)Pandora ](https://www.pandora.com/podcast/americas-work-force-union-podcast/PC:47979) - [![](https://awf.labortools.com/hubfs/podbean-logo-freelogovectors.net_-400x400.png)Podbean ](https://americasworkforceradiopodcast.podbean.com/) - [![](https://www.svgrepo.com/show/13671/youtube.svg)YouTube ](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuQo1PAtRAel1_tS7-PQOkA) - [ Listen ](https://awf.labortools.com/listen) - [ About ](https://awf.labortools.com/about) - [ Guest Form ](https://awf.labortools.com/guest-form) - [ Sponsors *Toggle Menu* ](https://awf.labortools.com/sponsors) - [ Become A Sponsor ](https://awf.labortools.com/become-a-sponsor) - [ Contact ](https://awf.labortools.com/contact) - [ Subscribe *Toggle Menu* ](https://awf.labortools.com/listen/how-redmond-grew-to-be-one-of-the-most-influential-people-in-labor#) - [![](https://awf.labortools.com/hubfs/apple-podcasts.png)Apple Podcasts ](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/americas-work-force-union-podcast/id1511224946) - [![](https://awf.labortools.com/hubfs/spotify.png)Spotify ](https://open.spotify.com/show/0GzkHxFSBxiXvuX0lZpQBn) - [![](https://awf.labortools.com/hubfs/iheartradio.png)iHeart Radio ](https://www.iheart.com/podcast/americas-work-force-union-podcast-62567752/) - [![](https://awf.labortools.com/hubfs/pandora-1.png)Pandora ](https://www.pandora.com/podcast/americas-work-force-union-podcast/PC:47979) - [![](https://awf.labortools.com/hubfs/podbean-logo-freelogovectors.net_-400x400.png)Podbean ](https://americasworkforceradiopodcast.podbean.com/) - [![](https://www.svgrepo.com/show/13671/youtube.svg)YouTube ](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuQo1PAtRAel1_tS7-PQOkA) - [ Listen ](https://awf.labortools.com/listen) [*Facebook* ](https://www.facebook.com/AWFUnionPodcast/) [*LinkedIn* ](https://www.linkedin.com/company/awfunionpodcast/) [*Twitter* ](https://twitter.com/AWFUnionPodcast) 1 min read Season 5, Episode 45 # How Redmond grew to be one of the most influential people in labor [ awfblog ](https://awf.labortools.com/listen/author/awfblog) March 1, 2024 [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) [Union Responsibilities](https://awf.labortools.com/listen/tag/union-responsibilities) [Union Issues](https://awf.labortools.com/listen/tag/union-issues) ![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: --- [https://aflcio.org/](https://aflcio.org/)  Guest Social Media: --- [ Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/aflcio/) [ Twitter](https://twitter.com/AFLCIO?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor) [ YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-vTWiQTFAG6Cvwsg6lk2iQ) [ LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/afl-cio/) Supportive Documents: --- As the America’s Work Force Union Podcast wraps up its Black History Month coverage, we have one bonus segment. Fred Redmond, [AFL-CIO](https://aflcio.org/) Secretary-Treasurer, joined us to talk about his journey from a young black man working with his father as a Steelworker in Chicago to eventually becoming the highest-ranking African-American in the history of the labor movement. For Redmond, February was always a month of remembrance. As a black man, he often reflects on the changes that have occurred and the black men and women who have fought for equal rights in America. He discussed the discrimination his parents and grandparents faced and how unions helped change the path for his father and greatly improved Redmond’s opportunities for the future. Redmond spoke about the protections the United Steelworkers gave to his father, who worked in a steel mill. Redmond said he got his start with a union in 1973 at the age of 19. He discussed how a dare by his father led him to get involved with his Steelworker Local and fight for a position in the union. Redmond then talked about his growth within the union and the movement that helped provide young black men like Redmond an opportunity to join the union’s leadership. It was not an easy fight, but the activism of the black members forced the union to make the changes from within. He recalled how those fights led him along the pathway to serve with the USW’s International Leadership, and he was eventually elected to his current role as the Secretary-Treasurer of the AFL-CIO. Redmond is the highest-ranking African-American in the history of the Labor movement. He has surpassed the odds of a young black man from Chicago growing up in the 1970s as a steel mill worker. Redmond only wanted to improve the protections of his Brothers and Sisters in the union, and let his work speak for itself. As he continues to work with President Liz Schuler, he will continue to put in the hard work required to give every worker the opportunity to join the middle class no matter their race, religion or gender.  For more about Redmond’s union journey, please listen to the show above. --- 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)   #### [Alliance for Retired Americans on Scrapping the Cap and AI in Medicare](https://awf.labortools.com/listen/alliance-for-retired-americans-on-scrapping-the-cap-and-ai-in-medicare) : July 17, 2026 Norm Wernet, Ohio state director of the [Alliance for Retired Americans](https://retiredamericans.org/), joined the [America's Work Force Union Podcast](https://awf.labortools.com/) to discuss two developments... 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