AFL-CIO

American  

[ey-ef-el--see-ahy-oh] / ˈeɪˈɛfˈɛl ˈsiˈaɪˈoʊ /

abbreviation

1. American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations: a federation of trade unions formed in 1955 by merger.

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AFL-CIO British  

abbreviation

1. American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations: a federation of independent American trade unions formed by the union of these two groups in 1955

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AFL-CIO Cultural  

1. Abbreviation for the American Federation of Labor–Congress of Industrial Organizations, two groups that merged in 1955 to become the largest federation of labor unions in the United States. Member unions, including a variety of workers from machinists to musicians, make up over seventy percent of the unionized labor force in the United States.

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Though officially nonpartisan, the AFL-CIO has strong traditional ties with the Democratic party.

Example Sentences

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AFL-CIO

Bridging the divide between those factions will be challenging for the AFL-CIO, the largest federation of unions in the U.S., said Todd Vachon, director of the Labor Education Action Research Network at Rutgers University.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026

Kim, who led the field in June’s crowded primary, was endorsed Tuesday by the California Federation of Labor Unions, an affiliate of the AFL-CIO that represents more than 1,300 state labor unions.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026

In 2000, the AFL-CIO held an “alternative roadshow” to campaign against PetroChina’s IPO, which scared off some potential investors.

From MarketWatch ● May 6, 2026

Others included AFL-CIO President Elizabeth Shuler - a major union leader - and Brent Booker, the president of the Laborers’ International Union of North America.

From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2024

Pride at Work, a national coalition of gay, bisexual, and transgender workers, becomes an AFL-CIO constituency.

From "1919 The Year That Changed America" by Martin W. Sandler