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The 2017 Pension Political Power 25: Richard Trumka
No. 20. Richard Trumka, President, AFL-CIO


Since Richard Trumka’s 2009 election as president of the 12.5 million-member AFL-CIO, the largest organization of labor unions in the U.S., his job has only gotten more difficult. Even before Donald Trump was elected along with a Republican majority in both houses of Congress, unions — and traditional pensions — were under assault. Trumka, 67, comes from a family of coal miners and worked in the Pennsylvania mines before earning a law degree from Villanova University in 1974 to help achieve his childhood goal of aiding miners. Fair wages and pension benefits for union members are key issues for Trumka, a founding member of the National Public Pension Coalition, which fights to protect public sector workers’ pensions and has been at the forefront of pushing for an expansion of Social Security. — Frances Denmark
![]() 2. Bruce Rauner Governor of Illinois ![]() 3. Betsy DeVos Secretary of Education ![]() 4. Laura & John Arnold Founders, Laura and John Arnold Foundation ![]() 5. Steven Mnuchin Secretary of the Treasury |
![]() 6. Wilbur Ross Secretary of Commerce ![]() 7. Tani Cantil-Sakauye California Chief Justice ![]() 8. Paul Ryan Speaker of the House ![]() 9. Anthony Scaramucci Founder, SkyBridge Capital ![]() 10. Kevin de León California State Senator and President Pro Tempore |
![]() 11. Mike Enzi Chairman, Senate Subcommittee on Primary Health and Retirement Security ![]() 12. Steve Sweeney President, New Jersey State Senate ![]() 13. Jerry Brown Governor of California ![]() 14. Corey Lewandowski Co-founder, Avenue Strategies ![]() 15. Paul Singer President, Elliott Management Corp. |
![]() 16. Randel Johnson Senior Vice President, Labor, Immigration, and Employee Benefits, U.S. Chamber of Commerce ![]() 17. Joe Manchin U.S. Senator ![]() 18. Kenneth Feinberg Founder and managingpartner, Feinberg Rozen ![]() 19. Scott Walker Governor of Wisconsin ![]() 20. Richard Trumka President, AFL-CIO |
![]() 21. Mike Rawlings Mayor of Dallas ![]() 22. Elizabeth Warren U.S. Senator ![]() 23. Kent Mason Partner, Davis & Harman ![]() 24. Bernie Sanders U.S. Senator ![]() 25. Randi Weingarten President, American Federation of Teachers |