The AFL-CIO represents people who work. We are the umbrella federation for U.S. unions, with 57 unions representing more than 12.5 million working men and women. The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations is an expression of the hopes and aspirations of the working people of America. We resolve to fulfill the yearning of the human spirit for liberty, justice and community; to advance individual and associational freedom; to vanquish ­oppression, privation and cruelty in all their forms; and to join with all persons, of whatever nationality or faith, who cherish the cause of democracy and the call of solidarity, to grace the planet with these achievements. We dedicate ourselves to improving the lives of working families, bringing fairness and dignity to the workplace and securing social equity in the nation.