Close-up Conversations

Al Davidoff ’80, AFL-CIO director of governance and a co-founder of the Worker Institute’s National Labor Leadership Initiative, will speak with students in small group meetings Thursday.

He will discuss labor movement careers during breakfast with Cornell Organization for Labor Action leaders, at lunch with graduating students and in other small group meetings.

While a student at ILR, Davidoff worked as a full-time Cornell custodian and was active in the United Auto Workers, which represents the custodians.

He went on to work in the labor movement for more than 30 years.

Davidoff served as the AFL-CIO director for New York state, and was elected vice president and organizing director for 1199 SEIU.

In 2009, Davidoff moved to Washington, D.C., to coordinate leadership for the American Federation of Teachers, where he served two years as chief of staff.

At the AFL-CIO, he has been part of leadership and organizational change initiatives.

Davidoff’s meetings with students are being sponsored by ILR Office of Career Services.