Jody Calemine, Director of Advocacy for the AFL-CIO, joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast to discuss his journey to his new position. Calemine discussed his previous work on labor policy with the CWA and what he will be trying to accomplish during this session of Congress.
Growing up in West Virginia and Virginia, Calemine talked about deindustrialization's impact on him and his family. Originally, he said he wanted to be a physicist, but after deciding that wasn’t his future, he earned a Bachelor of Philosophy degree from the University of Virginia before attending law school to become a labor lawyer. He graduated and went to work for the Communications Workers of America, left to work on labor policy with the U.S. House of Representatives. He eventually became the General Counsel for the CWA Union. Following the retirement of Bill Samuel from the AFL-CIO, Calemine was appointed the Director of Advocacy in March of this year.
As Democratic staff director for the Committee on Education and the Workforce, Calemine helped enact legislation such as the Affordable Care Act (ACA). He discussed the ACA and why people are still eligible for health coverage but not filing for coverage. Calemine also discussed the issues created by lobbyists looking to weaken the ACA and what he expects to happen as more legislators work to repeal the Act.
With a history of working for workers, Calemine had previously worked with Samuel as the Director of Government Affairs. Calemine said that it would be impossible to try to replace Samuel, so his goal is to create a new path for himself while continuing Samuel’s passion for helping workers. He outlined what he wants to do with the time left in this session of Congress and why getting several positions confirmed, including Acting Department of Labor Secretary Julie Su, is crucial to future worker protections.
Listen to the show above to hear more about Calemine and his new role with the AFL-CIO.