Building the "Silicon Valley of the Midwest" | AFL-CIO's Fred Redmond on Democracy

On this episode of the America’s Work Force Union Podcast, we explore two sides of the labor movement: the massive physical build-out of American manufacturing and the political fight to protect democratic norms.

Segment 1: The "Silicon Valley of the Midwest" Dorsey Hager, Executive Secretary-Treasurer of the Columbus Central Ohio Building and Construction Trades Council, joins the show to deliver a status report on the region’s construction boom.

Hager details the progress at Intel’s $28 billion chip plant, where nearly 1,000 trades members are currently working, with hundreds more expected by summer. He also outlines how data center expansion (including a new Google campus) is driving a secondary boom in power generation and grid infrastructure.

• Key Stat: IBEW Local 683 received the most apprenticeship applications in its history this year.
• Looking Ahead: Hager announces that Tradeswomen Build Nations is coming to Columbus in 2028.

Segment 2: Labor’s New Resistance Fred Redmond, Secretary-Treasurer of the AFL-CIO, returns to the podcast to discuss the high stakes facing working families in 2026.

Redmond argues that the labor movement must lead a renewed coalition to defend democracy against attacks on voting rights, immigrants, and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs. Drawing parallels to the civil rights battles of the 1960s, Redmond explains why unions are partnering with faith leaders and civil rights organizations to fight back against a "class war" economy that benefits billionaires at the expense of workers.

Podcast Resources:

• Listen & Subscribe: https://awf.labortools.com/ 
• Learn more about the Columbus Building Trades: https://columbusconstruction.org/ 
• Learn more about the AFL-CIO: https://aflcio.org/

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