(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – National AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler has released the following statement:

There are only a few things that mostly everyone can agree on these days - one of them is an overall pessimism about the current set of Lawmakers in Washington, D.C.

According to Pew Research Center, only 17% of Americans now say they trust the Federal Government to do what is right “just about always” or “most of the time” - one of the lowest recorded figures in nearly seven decades.

With the ultra-rich spending record-breaking amounts to influence our elections and a staggering number of members of Congress being millionaires themselves, it’s not hard to see why voters feel so disillusioned.

But all is not lost.

More than almost any institution in this country, voters say they trust and believe in Unions.

And we can see the power of that trust in action right now as Pro-Worker and Union Member candidates are securing powerful election victories.

Whether it’s International Association of Machinists (IAM) Union Leader Taylor Rehmet delivering a resounding Special Election upset in a Texas Senate District that Donald Trump carried by 17 points in 2024 - or the numerous Mid-Term Primary successes we’re already seeing in States like North Carolina, Union Members are running - and winning.

You don’t have to be a political analyst to see what’s happening: Voters are hungry for common sense economic policy platforms that center Working Families and Lawmakers who know what it means to work for a living!

It’s more critical than ever that we invest in developing Union Activists into Elected Representatives and mobilize around candidates who will fight for us, not corporate donors.