(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – After 14 years as President and a lifetime of service to Working People and the Labor Movement, American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees (AFSCME) President Lee Saunders has announced his decision to retire from his role as International President. 

Saunders, who has devoted his career to expanding the power of Public Service Workers across the country, came to AFSCME in 1978 as a Labor Economist and quickly rose through the ranks, negotiating major contracts, building powerful coalitions, going toe-to-toe with hostile politicians and working with Affiliates through important moments. 

Under his leadership, AFSCME Strong brought the Union back to the fundamentals of organizing and ignited a renewed culture of grassroots activism.

At a make-or-break moment, Saunders modernized and revitalized AFSCME, positioning the Union to withstand existential threats, including the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Janus v. AFSCME Council 31, a ruling designed to rig the rules so Workers would have fewer resources and less power.

The real goal was to silence Working People by undermining their ability to stand together, but Saunders responded by expanding organizing and deepening Member engagement across the Union. 

Under his leadership, AFSCME met some of the most challenging moments facing Working Families with clarity and resolve.

During the COVID-19 Pandemic as AFSCME Members risked their lives to serve their communities, Saunders helped secure emergency funding with the passage of the American Rescue Plan, preserving essential public services and saving jobs and communities across the country. 

Amid historic political division and uncertainty, Saunders’ leadership preserved AFSCME’s unity and strengthened solidarity among Union Members.

Today, AFSCME is a Union that continues to grow and create new opportunities for collective bargaining in States across the country, winning new Collective Bargaining Laws in Colorado, Virginia and Nevada - and opening the door for thousands more Public Service Workers to have a real voice on the job.

“It has been an honor to work on behalf of America’s Public Service Workers. Leadership changes hands, but the power stays exactly where it has always been, with the Workers. ‘Worker Power’ endures and AFSCME is built for the fights ahead,” Saunders said. 
 
His retirement will take effect at the conclusion of the next AFSCME International Convention in August 2026, where delegates will elect new leadership to carry forward the Union’s mission. 

AFSCME's 1.4 million Members provide the vital services that make America happen.

With Members in communities across the Nation, serving in hundreds of different occupations - from Nurses to Corrections Officers, Child Care Providers to Sanitation Workers, AFSCME advocates for fairness in the workplace, excellence in public services and freedom and opportunity for all Working Families.

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