As the voice of working people in local communities across the United States, the AFL-CIO Central Labor Councils are the heart of the American labor movement. By uniting the labor movement and mobilizing the local community, the Councils play a critical role on local, state and national issues as we work to accomplish our mission "To organize in the community to promote social justice for all working people."

The Metropolitan Washington Council is proud to be at the forefront of this movement, working with 200 affiliated union locals and our community, religious, student and political allies to improve the lives of workers and their families throughout the greater metro Washington area. Each year, the Council coordinates strategy and organizes demonstrations to support affiliated locals organizing workers or negotiating union contracts; provides emergency services and legal counseling for workers and supports activities on behalf of political candidates who support worker's issues.

For the latest news on the local labor movement, subscribe to UNION CITY!, the Council's free publication distributed every weekday via email: The Council's affiliates represent over 150,000 area union members, including 19,000 in service industries, 24,000 in retail sales, 11,000 in communications, 9,000 in transportation, 4,000 in manufacturing, 13,000 in construction trades and 35,000 in the public sector.