Current AFL-CIO President Mark Gaffney has announced that he will not seek re-election in October when the labor unions hold elections. At 55 years of age, Gaffney has held the post as the head of the 80-plus labor union coalition since 1999.
Some sources are describing the move as coming as the result of pressure applied by the United Auto Workers (UAW), the single largest part of the AFL-CIO. Unlike his predecessors, such as Frank Garrison and Sam Fishman, Gaffney did not rise through the UAW ranks – instead, coming from the Teamsters.
After being a member of the United Steelworkers of American and National Maritime Union, Gaffney became an organizer for the Teamsters Local 486 in 1984. Gaffney eventually served as the Teamsters’ legislative and community affairs director until joining the AFL-CIO as President in 1999.
Reports have indicated that Karla Swift, head of We Are the People, will replace Gaffney when he leaves his post in April of 2012. We Are the People is an effort to target vulnerable House Republican members.