ABOUT

The mission of the LIUNA African American Caucus is to identify, promote and support issues that address the needs and interests of LIUNA members of African descent, their families and the communities they live in. The mission goes further to carry the LIUNA’s message of Justice, Honor and Strength into the broader community to educate and promote the power of solidarity through union affiliation and look for innovative and inclusive ways to increase LIUNA’s market share which benefits all LIUNA members.    

Since 1903 membership in LIUNA has included African Americans as members and in leadership positions. In line with LIUNA’s rich history of inclusion, the LIUNA African American Caucus was established in June 2003, by African American LIUNA leaders from across the country to address interests and issues important to LIUNA members of African American descent, their families and their communities.

The LIUNA AAC works with all LIUNA members specifically in the cultural structure of African American communities, designated union constituency groups and like-minded social justice organizations. The LIUNA AAC strives to encourage and promote equal opportunities within LIUNA’s structure, as well as on worksites. Along with the International and LIUNA’s Latino and Women’s Caucuses, the African American Caucus looks to address concerns and interests of LIUNA members, retirees and all working men and women across the country, in an effort to promote a strong, robust middle class through unionized work opportunities. Issues such as increasing membership and member activism, promoting local hire ordinances, expanding apprenticeship and training opportunities, encouraging safe worksite conditions, defeating right to work, promoting access to LIUNA educational programs, and realizing the power of the vote through voter education and political action are all focus areas.

The AAC is a development of the Minority Advancement Committee which began meeting in 2001 under LIUNA General President Terrence O'Sullivan. In these committee meetings it was determined that it may be advantageous to form LIUNA sub-groups to supplement efforts to target issues important to the broad diversity of our members. The African American, Latino, and Women’s Caucuses were established in 2003 to assist LIUNA in meeting the needs of its diverse membership.

The primary function of the African American Caucus is to identify, promote, and support issues of concern for African Americans within LIUNA for the purpose of advancing and sustaining LIUNA’s mission and goals and interests.