69th Annual NC AFL-CIO Convention Concludes
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Sept. 18, 2026
Media Contact:
Jeremy Sprinkle | 336-255-2711, [email protected]
Sydney Roberts | 202-417-4095, [email protected]
69th Annual NC AFL-CIO Convention Features Remarks from Candidates and National Labor Leaders as Unions Prepare to Mobilize to Deliver Victories for Pro-Worker Candidates
CARY, NC – North Carolina union delegates concluded the 69th Annual North Carolina State AFL-CIO Convention on Friday with a commitment to grow union membership, strengthen labor and community partnerships, and mobilize working people ahead of November’s election.
The two-day gathering brought union members from across the state together with national labor leaders, elected officials, candidates, organizers, and community allies under the theme “Power & Partnerships.” Speakers urged members to carry on the work of the convention into workplaces and communities around North Carolina – and ultimately to the ballot box.
"We back pro-worker, pro-union candidates regardless of party,” said Communication Workers of America (CWA) president Claude Cummings Jr. “If your favorite politician isn't on our list, you better take a look at their voting record. Simple as that."
Former NC Governor and current U.S. Senate candidate Roy Cooper spoke to the concerns that are top of mind for working people ahead of the election.
“Our state’s workers and their families are being left behind as the price of groceries, health care, utilities, housing and child care go through the roof,” said Cooper. “For too many families, paychecks just aren’t keeping up with inflation…and Washington is making it so much worse.
North Carolina Supreme Court Associate Justice Anita Earls told delegates that workers’ rights and the upcoming state supreme court election are closely connected.
"It is my understanding that the law tells us to put people over profits, and what I hope people will recognize is that we need a court who will enforce their rights,” Justice Earls said. “It baffles me that we're a right-to-work state in which it really means you have fewer rights at work."
National AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Fred Redmond emphasized the role union members can play in reaching voters who may have lost trust in other institutions.
“At a time when people don’t have a lot of trust in the government or the media or other institutions, they trust unions. They trust their neighbors,” Redmond said. “We’re the ones who can have those hard conversations, knock on doors, get our friends and loved ones to understand what’s at stake in November.”
Building Worker Power Beyond November
The focus on November was part of a broader convention agenda centered on building lasting worker power beyond a single election.
“We know that long-term change in North Carolina needs long-term vision and strategy that goes beyond just one election cycle or organizing drive,” Redmond said.
Delegates heard directly from workers organizing across industries during a panel featuring members of Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 32BJ, American Federation of Professional Educators in North Carolina (AFPENC), Ironworkers, and International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) Local 491.
Following the discussion, delegates passed the resolution “Growing Our Membership to Build Power and Change Lives,” committing to increasing the number of union-represented workers across North Carolina through investments in organizing and legislative efforts to repeal anti-worker laws.
Throughout the event, union members debated resolutions that will shape the future of North Carolina’s labor movement, discussed critically important issues like the rising cost of living and the freedom to organize, and heard remarks from local union members who are running for office. Other resolutions that were passed by delegates included a greater commitment to protecting voter rights so that working people can advance policies that will improve their lives, continued commitment to fighting for racial justice, and building more political power for working families.
Turning Priorities Into Action
North Carolina AFL-CIO President Braxton Winston said those partnerships and priorities are central to the federation’s agenda for building power across the state.
“The only way we can build a brighter future is through forging strong partnerships and working hand-in-hand to demand the things we all want: good jobs, the freedom to thrive, and a government that works for the people, not billionaires,” Winston said. “We are here, and ready to build on our leadership, to build campaigns, and win together with all of you. Because we know we can’t do it alone.”
Speakers at the convention also outlined a broader economic agenda centered on good jobs, public education, affordable health care, retirement security, and giving workers a meaningful voice in decisions affecting their workplaces and communities.
"Unions are key to our goal of connecting people not only to jobs, but to careers. Jobs in high-demand industries where someone can advance over decades and raise a family,” said North Carolina Governor Josh Stein. "How do we go about building a state where everybody has a chance to succeed? Strengthen public education, invest in workforce development including apprenticeships, lower the cost of living, and make sure that you all have a seat at the table."
American Federation of Teachers (AFT) President Randi Weingarten connected those priorities to growing concerns about affordability and technological change.
“What’s so radical about wanting to have health care so that we’re not one illness away from bankruptcy, or one premium payment away from bankruptcy?” Weingarten said. “What is so radical about, after a life of hard work, wanting to have a decent retirement? None of these things are radical. These are part of what should be the social contract in the United States of America.”
The convention also included honors for retired labor educator and AFT and USW member Diane Thomas-Holladay, recipient of the P.R. Latta Rank-and-File Award for outstanding service to the labor movement. Over her 14 years as an instructor at Carolina Labor School and countless trainings for our affiliates and other unions across the country, Diane taught multiple generations of future labor leaders—including President Winston—why unions still matter, how to find their own why, and how to share the union gospel with others.
Following the conclusion of convention programming Friday afternoon, union members took part in a voter contact canvass in Raleigh, putting into practice the convention’s focus on building worker power ahead of the November election.
"When working people vote, working families win," said Wake County District Attorney and former Congressman Wiley Nickel.
The message was echoed by AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Fred Redmond, who underscored the role union members will play in voter outreach in the weeks ahead. “Our vote is going to be the deciding factor in 2026.”
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The North Carolina State AFL-CIO is the largest association of local unions and union councils in North Carolina, representing over a hundred thousand union members, fighting for good jobs, safe workplaces, workers’ rights, consumer protections, and quality public services on behalf of ALL working people.