Leslie Marshall Show - 11/6/26 - How Organized Labor Powered the Blue Wave and What's Next for Working Families by Progressive Voices Network

Leslie is joined by Fred Redmond, Secretary-Treasurer of the AFL-CIO, to discuss how the labor movement helped deliver a historic Democratic victory in the 2026 midterm elections and what the results mean for America's working families.

Fred details how the AFL-CIO's largest-ever midterm voter mobilization effort reached more than 16 million union voters, helping Democrats regain control of both the House and Senate. He explains how organized labor's focus on rising costs, economic inequality, and workers' rights helped energize voters and overcome the influence of wealthy political donors.

The two also discuss the record-breaking 639 union members elected to public office, major victories for pro-worker candidates across the country, and how these election results could reshape the fight for stronger collective bargaining rights, higher wages, and passage of the PRO Act.

Finally, Redmond shares how the AFL-CIO plans to build on this momentum, hold elected officials accountable, and turn a union-made blue wave into lasting progress for working people.

The AFL-CIO is the nation's largest labor federation, representing 15 million workers across 63 unions. Fred Redmond made history in 2022 when he became the highest-ranking African American officer in the history of America's labor movement.

The website for the AFL-CIO is AFLCIO.org and their handle on Blue Sky is @AFLCIO.org. Their handle on Facebook, Instagram and X is @AFLCIO.  Fred's handle on X is @STRedmond.