AFT Vice President Laura Rico Elected to AFL-CIO's Executive Council 

WASHINGTON, D.C. — AFT Vice President Laura Rico today was elected to the Executive Council of the AFL-CIO.  The election comes on the heels of historic changes to the AFL-CIO constitution meant to increase diversity at all levels of the organization.

 “Today’s working families speak myriad languages, have diverse cultural backgrounds and remain the driving force of this great nation,” said Rico. “As a woman of Latino and Native American descent, and as a lifelong labor activist, I am honored by this appointment and I look forward to continuing my efforts on behalf of working men and women.”

 “Laura has always been a tremendous asset to the members of the American Federation of Teachers.  She is thoughtful, selfless and resolute when it comes to protecting the rights of workers.  She is also extremely effective in helping groups of all sorts – from management and workers to organizations and communities – coalesce around critical issues in ways that benefit all involved.  I am extremely pleased to see her join the Executive Council of the AFL-CIO,” said AFT President Edward J. McElroy, also a member of the council.

 Rico has been an AFT vice president since July 2002, and is a member of the AFT Teachers’ program and policy council.  She has been president of the ABC Federation of Teachers for 15 years.  The ABC Federation represents members in the ABC Unified School District in the southeast section of Los Angeles County.  For more than 31 years, Rico was a child development teacher at the Artesia High School Children’s Center before becoming full-time president of the ABCFT.  She also serves as the state vice president for the California Federation of Teachers.

 In addition to McElroy and Rico, the AFT also is represented on the AFL-CIO Executive Council by AFT Secretary-Treasurer Nat LaCour.  

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