CHICAGO – SEIU Healthcare Illinois Indiana Missouri Kansas President Greg Kelley has issued the following statement on the passing of labor leader Bill Lucy, longtime International Secretary-Treasurer of the American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME): 

“Bill Lucy not only played a crucial role in founding the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists—he made the crucial connections between racial justice and economic justice that drives so much of what is truly dynamic about the labor movement today. 

His legacy is evident in the pride that our members feel when they go on strike carrying “I AM A MAN”—and “I AM A WOMAN” — signs, fighting the for truly livable wages that recognize their valuable contributions in their workplaces and communities. And when our members increasingly connect their on-the-job fights with the rallying cries of a burgeoning global multicultural labor movement, they are walking in his footsteps. 

We are deeply saddened by his loss, and our hearts go out to his family and those privileged to work with him at AFSCME and at the many other movement tables blessed by his presence.  

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