President Lee Saunders released the following statement after the death of AFSCME Secretary-Treasurer Emeritus William Lucy. Lucy, 90, died at his Washington, D.C., home.
“Bill Lucy was a giant, one of the most accomplished and influential trade unionists ever — in any country, at any moment in history. He did as much as anyone to advance the dignity of all working people here in the United States and around the world. He was one of our greatest warriors ever for civil rights, labor rights and human rights.
“From his leadership in the 1968 Memphis sanitation strike, to the founding of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists, to his role in defeating and dismantling South African apartheid, he was a courageous trailblazer. On behalf of 1.4 million AFSCME members, I am so grateful for his visionary leadership from the moment he first joined our union nearly 70 years ago.
“On a personal level, he was a mentor to me, someone I leaned on for counsel and wisdom. I stand on his shoulders, and I will continue to be inspired by his example. Rest in power, brother.”