A Year of Power, Progress, and Solidarity: Five Moments That Defined Worker Power in 2025
In 2025, the North Shore AFL-CIO delivered real results for working people—supporting new organizing, mobilizing in solidarity, winning elections, advancing pro-worker legislation, and celebrating union power. Guided by a clear mandate to build worker power at scale, these five moments capture a year defined by growth, action, and an unwavering commitment to strengthening the labor movement across Greater Cleveland.
1. Organizing: Building Worker Power Across Greater Cleveland
In 2025, the North Shore AFL-CIO made organizing the central focus of our work—aligning with the AFL-CIO’s call to dramatically increase the pace and scale of organizing nationwide. Across Greater Cleveland, workers stepped forward to form unions, strengthen their voices on the job, and demand dignity, fairness, and respect. Healthcare workers, educators, service workers, and others organized around core issues like safe staffing, workplace safety, scheduling, and wages—demonstrating that workers are ready to lead when they have the tools and support to do so.
A major milestone this year was the launch of a regional organizing hub, designed to coordinate and strengthen organizing support across affiliates. The hub provides strategic planning, research, training, and rapid-response assistance—breaking down silos and ensuring organizing campaigns are part of a broader, region-wide strategy rather than isolated efforts.
That infrastructure was further strengthened when the AFL-CIO Organizing Institute came to Cleveland for the first time in 20 years, equipping union members and staff with cutting-edge, worker-led organizing skills rooted in power-building models. To meet workers where they are, we also launched UnionizeCLE.org, a centralized, worker-facing platform that allows workers to confidentially connect with unions or find a union job.
Together, these efforts reflect a long-term commitment not just to winning campaigns—but to building durable organizing capacity and growing a movement that lasts.
2. Mobilization: Standing Up for Federal Workers and All Workers
Throughout 2025, the North Shore AFL-CIO played a leading role in mobilizing workers and allies for more than three dozen actions across the region. A major focus was defending federal workers—AFGE, NALC, and APWU members—whose jobs, unions, and public services came under sustained attack. As proposals emerged to weaken civil service protections, undermine federal unions, and slash funding for essential services like the Department of Veterans Affairs, we organized coordinated actions to make clear that these attacks would not go unanswered.
Union members mobilized to defend workers who serve veterans, protect public health, maintain public safety, deliver the mail, and keep critical systems running. Through rallies, solidarity actions, direct outreach to elected officials, phone banks, and coalition work, we reinforced a simple truth: public service workers deserve respect, strong unions, and the freedom to speak up without fear.
Beyond federal worker defense, mobilization meant showing up across organizing drives, contract fights, and policy battles. We stood with AAUP members at Cleveland State University and Tri-C in opposition to Senate Bill 1; supported SEIU District 1199 members at Cleveland State, the Cleveland Rape Crisis Center, and Bellefaire JCB; and backed contract and organizing fights involving AFA-CWA at United Airlines, SEIU Local 1 at Playhouse Square, RWDSU Local 379 at REI, Teamsters Local 507 at Airgas, Starbucks Workers United, and the SEIU Doctors Council at University Hospitals.
In 2025, mobilization meant consistency, strategy, and solidarity—connecting individual struggles into a shared fight for worker justice.
3. Labor 2025: A Political Program That Delivered Results
The North Shore AFL-CIO’s Labor 2025 political program marked a turning point in how labor builds political power in Northeast Ohio. Rather than relying solely on endorsements, Labor 2025 focused on accountability and long-term movement-building. The results were historic: nearly two dozen union members or union spouses won election in 2025—representing almost half of all Path to Power victories statewide.
These wins mattered not just because of the numbers, but because of who won. Union members and allies stepped into leadership roles in mayor's offices, city councils, and school boards—ensuring working people are represented by leaders who understand their lived experience. Labor 2025 supported these candidates through digital advertising, phone banking, literature drops, and door-to-door canvassing.
A key innovation was strengthening the endorsement process through mandatory candidate briefings. Candidates seeking labor’s support were required to engage directly with labor’s priorities, values, and expectations—ensuring endorsements were earned, not assumed. As a result, labor is now positioned to advance pro-worker policies at the local level across our region to hold those endorsed elected officials accountable.
Labor 2025 proved a simple truth: when unions invest in their own members as leaders, labor doesn’t just influence politics—we help shape it.
4. Legislative Victories: Turning Advocacy into Action
In 2025, the North Shore AFL-CIO translated advocacy into real legislative impact by centering worker voices in the policymaking process. We mobilized against a harmful federal budget proposal—partnering with AFSCME, Policy Matters Ohio, and County Executive Chris Ronayne—to highlight the devastating consequences for workers and public services. Union members hand-delivered worker testimonials to the offices of Senators Husted and Moreno and participated in a press conference to bring those stories directly to the public. While we were unsuccessful, we are positioned to hold lawmakers accountable for the impact of the law.
We showed our strength during the Ohio AFL-CIO Legislative Conference in May, when more than 50 members from Greater Cleveland joined 200 union members from across the state for coordinated lobbying at the Statehouse—meeting directly with lawmakers to advocate for working families. We played a decisive role in stopping Ohio Senate Bill 50, legislation that would have weakened child labor protections. Union members testified, including Political Director Rebecca Gorski, and met with legislators, working in coalition to expose the bill’s dangers—efforts that helped lead to the governor’s veto and halted a dangerous rollback of worker protections.
At the federal level, we helped secure passage of H.R. 2550, demonstrating the power of direct worker engagement. Rank-and-file members met with members of Congress across party lines, shared their lived experiences, and demanded action. When it mattered, Congressman Dave Joyce joined Representative Shontel Brown in supporting the legislation and standing with working families.
The lesson of 2025 was clear: when workers speak for themselves—and stay engaged—policy changes.
5. Labor Day 2025: A Celebration of Solidarity and Power
Labor Day 2025 was a powerful expression of unity, culture, and collective strength. The North Shore AFL-CIO kicked off the weekend as an official
stop on the national “It’s Better in a Union” bus tour, bringing together union members from across the region to celebrate victories and recommit to the work ahead.
The event showcased the full breadth of the labor movement. National leaders—including UAW President Shawn Fain, Bricklayers President Timothy J. Driscoll, and UWUA President James Slevin—joined local workers, underscoring that local fights are part of a national movement for dignity and fairness at work. Music and culture anchored the celebration. The Dropkick Murphys delivered a performance steeped in working-class tradition, while North Shore Executive Board member Hector Alvarado’s band, Brute Squad, brought local labor pride to the stage.
As we moved into Labor Day, the Federation hosted a youth art contest that encouraged conversations at home about why it is better in a union. Each participant received an age-appropriate book about unions. On Labor Sunday, Executive Secretary Brian Pearson and Board Member David Sheagley spoke to multiple congregations across the region about the connection between faith and labor. On Labor Day, a record crowd joined us to walk in the 11th Congressional District Labor Day Parade.
Labor Day 2025 was more than a celebration—it was a declaration. A reminder that labor’s strength flows from solidarity, community, and the shared belief that working people deserve power on and off the job.