In 2025, the New York City AFL-CIO Central Labor Council stood with Workers through a year shaped by resistance, resilience, and collective action.
From the start, the Labor Council worked alongside Union Members, Labor leaders and allies to respond to Federal actions that threatened Worker Rights and protections, while advancing a strong local agenda rooted in New York City.
Across organizing, policy advocacy, electoral work and coalition building, the Labor Council helped translate national challenges into local action in the streets, in workplaces, at City Hall and at the ballot box.
Throughout the year, New York City Labor put solidarity into practice by mobilizing for mass action, supporting workers in contract fights and on Strike, expanding civic participation, and defending good jobs, safe workplaces and Democratic institutions.
This Year in Review highlights the moments, campaigns, and collective efforts that defined our work in 2025 – and the power built by Affiliates and allies working together across the City.
January-March
The year began amid immediate uncertainty for Working People, as early actions by the Trump Administration raised serious concerns for Workers, families, Immigrants and the future of collective bargaining.
From the outset, the Labor Council worked with Affiliates and allies to coordinate a collective response, centering Worker Rights and solidarity across Unions and communities.
Early in the year, the Labor Council began convening Labor Leaders, policy experts and advocates to assess the changing Federal landscape and its implications for Workers.
In partnership with the Labor Leadership Initiative and the Worker Institute at Cornell’s Industrial School of Labor Relations, the Labor Council hosted a strategic conversation on Project 2025 and the potential impacts of increased Immigration enforcement and Federal policy shifts on Worker protections.
More than 100 Union Leaders, Immigrant Worker Advocates and policy experts shared analysis and experiences, reinforcing the importance of solidarity and preparedness in the face of escalating threats.
In mid-March, Labor Council co-hosted a Workers’ Rights Convening with New York City Comptroller Brad Lander and the City University of New York’s School of Labor and Urban Studies, bringing together Labor Leaders, Worker Advocates, Immigrant Rights Organizations and policymakers to discuss the current state of Workers’ Rights in New York City and strategies to defend and expand those rights.
Featuring a keynote by former National Labor Relations Board General Counsel Jennifer Abruzzo and expert panels on Immigrant Worker Organizing and Union Workforce trends, the convening reinforced the importance of coalition-building across sectors to protect Worker Power amid escalating national attacks.
On the ground, the Labor Council helped translate national attacks into visible local action.
Federal Workers rallied in New York City to protest mass job cuts and Union-Busting efforts, while thousands joined the March 15th Stop the Cuts March to demand protection for public services and Workers’ Rights.
The Labor Council and its Affiliates also joined U.S. Representative Nydia Velázquez for a Medicaid Day of Action, highlighting the real consequences of proposed cuts to health care access for Working Families and communities across New York.
To Continue Reading This Labor News Report, Go To: 2025: A Year-in-Review | New York City Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO