The Arizona Republic | AFL-CIO picks woman to head union in state

[Heidi]

Apr. 3, 2007 12:00 AM

The Arizona AFL-CIO on Monday announced the selection of the first female leader of the traditionally male-dominated labor union.

Rebekah Friend, 54, who was a leader in the fight last year for Proposition 202, which raised the minimum wage to $6.75 an hour, was selected executive director and secretary-treasurer of the union.

"Men ran the labor movement because it went into the construction industries first," Friend said. "But this has been gradually changing over the last few years."

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According to Bureau of Labor statistics, union membership in Arizona rose from 145,000 in 2005 to 197,000 in 2006, a 36 percent increase. But only 7.6 percent of the state's workers have been unionized, below the national average of 12 percent.

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http://www.azcentral.com/business/articles/0403biz-friend0403.html

[Fierce]

1. The AFL-CIO is not "a union."

Sheesh.

[Heidi]

2. I didn't write the headline or the article.

:hi:

[Heidi]

3. I sent an email to the reporter:

Thank you for your article about the AFL-CIO choosing a female leader. http://www.azcentral.com/business/articles/0403biz-friend0403.html

I think it's important to point out that the AFL-CIO isn't a labor union. It's a federation of 54 US and international labor unions.
http://www.aflcio.org/aboutus/thisistheaflcio/

[Fierce]

4. I wasn't crabbing at you. :)

And thanks for sending the letter.