Longtime AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka Dies at 72 (2)

Richard Trumka, the longtime president of the AFL-CIO and Democratic ally, died unexpectedly on Thursday, according to a union spokesperson.

Trumka, 72, died while celebrating his grandson’s birthday, according to an email sent by his staff to labor unions.

“He was more than the head of the AFL-CIO, he was a good close personal friend,” President Joe Biden said Thursday at the White House before a meeting with Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander groups. “At least he was with people who adored him.”

Trumka was elected AFL-CIO secretary-treasurer in 1995 and held that post until 2009, when ...