Washington, D.C. (Sept. 29, 2024) — Brent Booker, General President of the Laborers’ International Union of North America (LIUNA), made the following statement today regarding the passing of AFSCME Secretary-Treasurer Emeritus William “Bill” Lucy:

On behalf of more than a half-million LIUNA members, I join those around the world mourning the loss of AFSCME Secretary-Treasurer Emeritus Bill Lucy.

 

Bill Lucy’s work spanned generations and the globe. He was a tough, smart, and fierce fighter for union rights, human rights, and civil rights, knowing that each battle was joined to the other. He co-founded the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists, helping to bond the civil rights and labor movements. He spearheaded U.S. efforts to topple apartheid and stood beside South African leader Nelson Mandela as he rose from prison to his nation’s presidency.

 

Bill Lucy’s modest origins powered his leadership. He fought for the dignity, hopes and every-day aspirations of all manner of public servants from street cleaners to healthcare providers to corrections officers. When he marched beside the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King in 1968 as Memphis sanitation workers sought justice, it was Bill Lucy’s words on the signs marchers carried. Those words conveyed a true and profound message through which he saw the world: “I am a man.”

 

Bill Lucy’s presence on the world stage will be missed, but the legacy of this legendary giant in the fight for union rights and human rights will endure.

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The more than half-million members of LIUNA – the Laborers’ International Union of North America – are on the forefront of the construction industry, a powerhouse of workers who are proud to build the United States and Canada.