Liz Shuler

Elizabeth H. "Liz" Shuler is an American labor activist and, since September 16, 2009, Secretary-Treasurer of the AFL-CIO. She is the first woman and (as of 2009) the youngest person to hold the position of Secretary-Treasurer. She is the highest-ranking woman in the labor federation's history. Her election also marks the first time that two of the three officer positions in the AFL-CIO were held by women.

Early life and IBEW career

Liz Shuler was born to Lance and Joyce Shuler in 1970. Her father was an electrical lineman for Portland General Electric (PGE), and her mother worked there as a secretary. Although her father was a union member, clerical workers at PG&E were not unionized. Shuler was raised in the town of Gladstone, Oregon, and attended public school in the city. She received her bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Oregon in 1992. While in college, she worked summers at PGE and was active in the state Democratic Party.