RICHARD TRUMKA IS SIXTY-FOUR

RICHARD L. TRUMKA 

b. July 24, 1949 

RICH TRUMKA 

Back when he chaired 

the United Mine Workers 

Published in Business Week 

December 12, 1983, p. 90 

Now and for the last four years, come this September, Trumka is President of the AFL-CIO.   More here. 

RICH TRUMKA THEN & NOW

RICHARD LOUIS TRUMKA 

RICHARD L. ("RICH") TRUMKA 

Published in the April 30, 1984 issue of 

BUSINESS WEEK (p.70) 

Here is Richard Trumka in the early years of his presidency of the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA). He "inherited a union in turmoil," said BUSINESS WEEK in its December 12, 1983, issue (p. 90), and then caused some to worry that he was "trying to institute policies that could keep him in power for decades....." 

In the event, he served thirteen years as UMWA president, from 1982-1995, then became Secretary-Treasurer of the AFL-CIO from 1995-2009, and was elected its president on September 16, 2009, bringing with him, we are told, his "tough guy image" (more here). In another two years he was named one of ESQUIRE Magazine's 2011 Americans of the Year (story and photographs here). 

But now it is 2012, and the same Barack Obama Richard Trumka supported so forcefully in 2008 (video here) has elected to hold his convention in a right-to-work state.... Stay tuned.