2010 Presidential Medal of Freedom Recipient - John Sweeney

February 16, 2011 | 2:46 | Public Domain

John J. Sweeney is the current President Emeritus of the AFL-CIO. He was president of the organization for four terms, from 1995 to 2009. At the time he was elected president of the AFL-CIO, Sweeney was president of the Service Employees International Union, a position in which had served for 15 years. Sweeney’s first job in the labor movement was with the International Ladies’ Garment Workers, which later merged with the Clothing and Textile Workers Union. He joined SEIU Local 32B in New York City in 1961 as a union representative and was elected president in 1976. Watch as John Sweeney talks about how his interest in the Labor movement was shaped from a very early age and the impact he feels his efforts have made for working people in this country and around the world.