Vincent Alvarez to Step Down as NYC CLC President after More Than a Decade of Transformational Leadership

The NYC CLC announced yesterday that CLC President Vincent Alvarez will be stepping down effective July 1 after 14 years leading the nation’s largest regional Labor federation.

Since taking office in 2011 as the CLC’s first full-time President and first Latino President, Alvarez has led a restructured and reinvigorated federation. Together with the CLC’s affiliates, he has helped shape a truly unified citywide Labor Movement, one that has confronted some of the most pressing challenges facing working New Yorkers. Under his leadership, the CLC has stood at the forefront of the city’s response and recovery from Superstorm Sandy and the COVID-19 pandemic; fought for responsible economic development and against the tide of rising inequality; and mobilized to engage in the fight to reverse climate change while creating and preserving family-sustaining union jobs.

During Alvarez’s tenure, the CLC has consistently championed the fight for higher wages, retirement security, and adequately funded public services, including municipal government, public education, and transit. The CLC has supported critical efforts to organize workers in both emerging and existing industries, and stood in solidarity during strikes, contract fights, and mobilizations across sectors. More recently, under his leadership, the CLC has assisted in coordinating Labor’s response to the anti-worker agenda of the federal government, and continues to build collective power to confront the challenges of tomorrow.

“Serving as President of the NYC Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO and working on behalf of its more than one million union members has been the honor of my life, and I am filled with an immense sense of pride in all we’ve accomplished together over the past 14 years,” said Alvarez. “We are stronger, more united, and better prepared to meet our ongoing challenges as the nation’s largest regional Labor federation. New York City is a Union Town, and our power will always come from our unified voice and collective action. I am deeply grateful to the Executive Board, staff, affiliates, and delegates of the CLC for their unwavering support and solidarity throughout the years. It has been a privilege to stand shoulder to shoulder with you, and I have every confidence that together, our Labor Movement will continue to grow worker power and advance the fight for dignity, justice, and respect for all working people.” Read more here!