Union leaders

Liz Shuler

president of the AFL-CIO

3 records

Portrait source: Cfiles-aflcio, CC BY-SA 4.0

Records

And so I can’t think of a more fitting day to talk about A.I. — the single biggest threat to working people of our lifetime, if we don’t harness it properly.

Liz Shuler

president of the AFL-CIO

In an April 2026 speech at the National Press Club, Liz Shuler said AI is the single biggest threat to working people of our lifetime if we don't harness it properly.

President of the AFL-CIOApril 28, 2026National Press Club Headliners Coffee & Conversation

Source Archived

Context and checks

Surrounding words

Where every worker in this country has safety on the job; knows their rights are protected; feels confident they have a good future ahead of them. And so I can’t think of a more fitting day to talk about A.I. — the single biggest threat to working people of our lifetime, if we don’t harness it properly. I want to tell you a story I heard a few weeks ago from an Amazon warehouse worker named Isaiah in Bessemer, Alabama. On Isaiah’s first day they told him to go to the daily “stand up,” where you get your shift assignments.

What this quote does not say

The AFL-CIO labels the page as Shuler's speech but does not say whether the published text is a verbatim delivery transcript or prepared remarks; no recording or captions were checked.
The threat claim is explicitly conditional on AI not being harnessed properly and must not be restated as unconditional.

How this was checked

Quote located in the captured page; spacing normalised for display.

Reviewed by

an AI reviewer that read the whole source · an automatic character-by-character check

We’re not against technology if it makes our lives better and safer. We’re not anti-innovation. What we are is anti-greed. We’re against these forces being used without our input and our consent—putting our jobs and lives at risk. There is a better way forward. Where we come together—labor, business, our politicians, industry experts, academics, everyone—and put the guardrails in place on AI to make it work for working people.

In remarks prepared for her June 2026 AFL-CIO convention acceptance speech, Liz Shuler said the labor movement is not against technology that makes lives better and safer and is not anti-innovation, but is against AI being used without workers' input and consent, and called for labor, business, politicians, industry and academics to put guardrails in place on AI.

President of the AFL-CIOJune 7, 2026AFL-CIO 30th Constitutional Convention

Source Archived

Context and checks

Surrounding words

That’s what they think about us. That’s how much they care about us. Does anyone here want these billionaires deciding our future for us? Hell no. We’re not against technology if it makes our lives better and safer. We’re not anti-innovation. What we are is anti-greed. We’re against these forces being used without our input and our consent—putting our jobs and lives at risk. There is a better way forward. Where we come together—labor, business, our politicians, industry experts, academics, everyone—and put the guardrails in place on AI to make it work for working people. We're already proving that it can be done. In states like Massachusetts and California, we’re introducing laws to ban robo-bosses, stop machines from hiring and firing us.

What this quote does not say

The page explicitly labels the text 'remarks as prepared for delivery', so delivery was not checked against a recording or captions; this is a first-party prepared text, not a verified transcript.
This is a qualification and a narrower framing, not a withdrawal of the April 2026 'single biggest threat' claim.

How this was checked

Quote matched character-for-character against the captured page.

Reviewed by

an AI reviewer that read the whole source · an automatic character-by-character check

While we would applaud any serious effort to regulate potentially dangerous AI technologies, any attempt to tie the hands of states in their efforts to keep working people safe is not acceptable. We oppose preemption of state authority to regulate the development and implementation of AI.

Liz Shuler

president of the AFL-CIO

In a June 2026 AFL-CIO statement on the Trahan-Obernolte AI discussion draft, Liz Shuler said the federation would applaud any serious effort to regulate potentially dangerous AI technologies but opposes preemption of state authority to regulate the development and implementation of AI.

President of the AFL-CIOJune 4, 2026AFL-CIO statement on the Trahan-Obernolte AI discussion draft

Source Archived

Context and checks

Surrounding words

Lori Trahan (Mass.) and Jay Obernolte (Calif.): While we would applaud any serious effort to regulate potentially dangerous AI technologies, any attempt to tie the hands of states in their efforts to keep working people safe is not acceptable. We oppose preemption of state authority to regulate the development and implementation of AI. We’d welcome the opportunity to work with the bill sponsors and share our concerns, and appreciate the outreach we've already received.

What this quote does not say

The statement is issued in Shuler's name but speaks throughout in the AFL-CIO's first-person plural; it is a federation position she released, not a personal remark.
It addresses one discussion draft and state preemption, and must not be generalized into support for every AI regulation.

How this was checked

Quote matched character-for-character against the captured page.

Reviewed by

an AI reviewer that read the whole source · an automatic character-by-character check