Fred Redmond on Family, 50 Years With the Steelworkers and Organizing

from America’s Work Force Union Podcast · host BMA Media Group

His mother took three buses every morning to clean houses in the suburbs. His father worked every job he could find until he landed his first union contract at an aluminum mill on Chicago's southwest side. Then Fred Redmond's family started going to a doctor's office instead of the free clinic. That is why the labor movement is personal to him — and why he has given more than 50 years to it. On today's episode of America's Work Force Union Podcast, AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Fred Redmond joins for the first Friday with Fred of August as part of the Labor 132 series. He shares the story of his parents' journey from sharecropping in Mississippi to union membership in Chicago, reflects on his proudest moments with the United Steelworkers, including organizing rubber plantation workers in Liberia and surviving strikes at Reynolds and Alcoa, and explains why union popularity is now at its highest point in 70 years. Visit aflcio.org and explore the AFL-CIO's labor history timeline.

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Aug 7, 2026

Embed this episode

Attribution link and audio player

What this episode covers

AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Fred Redmond discusses his family’s journey from sharecropping in Mississippi to transformative union membership in Chicago, his proudest moments with the United Steelworkers including leading an organizing campaign in Liberia and surviving strikes at Reynolds and Alcoa by staying one day longer than the company, and why union popularity is at its highest point in 70 years as workers across the country demand a share of the profits they help create.

Distinct summary based on available episode metadata or transcript content.

Ready to play

Fred Redmond on Family, 50 Years With the Steelworkers and Organizing

0:00 21:07

1×

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

Share this episode

Similar Episodes

No similar episodes found.

Similar Podcasts

The Course Mentors Podcast The Course Mentors Hey there, future course creator!Ever feel like turning your know-how into an online course is like trying to solve a Rubik's cube blindfolded? Well, grab your headphones because "The Course Mentors Podcast" is here to be your secret weapon!Meet Aimee and Odette (that's us!), your new best friends in the course creation world. We've been in the trenches for over a decade, and for the last five years, we've been rocking the online course space. Now we're here to spill all our secrets in bite-sized, 15-20 minute episodes that'll fit perfectly in your coffee breaks.No fluff, no filler - just real, actionable advice that'll take you from "um, what's a landing page?" to "holy moly, I just hit six figures!". We're talking everything from crafting your course to marketing it like a pro and building a business that'll have you pinching yourself.Whether you're dreaming of ditching the 9-to-5 grind, adding a sweet extra income str

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of America’s Work Force Union Podcast?

This episode is 21 minutes long.

When was this America’s Work Force Union Podcast episode published?

This episode was published on August 7, 2026.

Can I download this America’s Work Force Union Podcast episode?

Yes. Use the download control on the episode player to save the publisher-provided media file.

URL copied to clipboard!