PeopleofSuperintelligence

Public voice

Liz Shuler

Liz Shuler is president of the AFL-CIO and has helped bring workers into decisions about AI development and workplace policy. She earned a journalism degree at the University of Oregon in 1992 and joined IBEW Local 125’s campaign to organize clerical workers in 1993. After IBEW political and legislative work in Washington, she became the AFL-CIO’s first woman secretary-treasurer and then its first woman president. In 2023, she represented labor in an AI partnership with Microsoft; TIME included her in its 2026 TIME100 AI.

Photo of Liz Shuler

Timeline

  1. 1992–1993

    Journalism and union organizing

    She earns a journalism degree at the University of Oregon in 1992 and joins IBEW Local 125’s campaign to organize clerical workers in 1993.

  2. By 2009

    The IBEW political affairs office

    Before her 2009 AFL-CIO election, she moves to IBEW headquarters in Washington to work in the political and legislative department.

  3. 2009–2021

    AFL-CIO secretary-treasurer

    She becomes the first woman elected AFL-CIO secretary-treasurer in 2009 and holds the post until the federation elects her president in 2021.

  4. 2021–2022

    First woman to lead the AFL-CIO

    The Executive Council elects her as the AFL-CIO’s first woman president in 2021; convention delegates re-elect her in June 2022.

  5. 2023

    An AI partnership with Microsoft

    She speaks for the AFL-CIO in a 2023 partnership with Microsoft to include workers in AI development, provide training and help shape public policy.

  6. 2026

    TIME100 AI recognition

    She joins the 2026 TIME100 AI as a labor voice warning about what AI could mean.

  7. Since June 2026

    Re-elected AFL-CIO president

    Delegates re-elect her to lead the AFL-CIO in June 2026.

Sources and credits

Photo: Cfiles-aflcio, via Wikimedia Commons. License: CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: commons.wikimedia.org. Cropped to a square and resized. Ask us to remove or replace this photo.

  1. Liz Shuler ’92 | Journalism and Communication journalism.uoregon.edu. Checked 14 October 2026.
  2. Liz Shuler of AFL-CIO is A Voice for the People | OregonNews news.uoregon.edu. Checked 14 October 2026.
  3. Elizabeth H. Shuler elected first woman president of AFL-CIO | NJ AFL-CIO njaflcio.org. Checked 14 October 2026.
  4. The ATU applauds the election of Liz Shuler as AFL-CIO President and Fred Redmond as Secretary-Treasurer atu.org. Checked 14 October 2026.
  5. AFL-CIO and Microsoft announce new tech-labor partnership on AI and the future of the workforce news.microsoft.com. Checked 14 October 2026.
  6. How We Chose the 2026 TIME100 AI tech.yahoo.com. Checked 14 October 2026.
  7. Union organizing, midterms take center stage at AFL-CIO convention in Minneapolis wwno.org. Checked 14 October 2026.