Lee Saunders, president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), announced he will retire in August after nearly 50 years with the union, including 15 years as its leader. His departure comes amid ongoing challenges for public-sector unions in the United States, even as public approval of labor organizations has grown.
During his tenure, Saunders witnessed shifting dynamics in American labor. While a 2025 Gallup poll showed that 65% of Americans now approve of unions, union membership among workers has continued to decline. Courts and legislatures have also imposed restrictions that have reduced union power, particularly in the public sector. In 2018, for instance, a Supreme Court ruling barred public-sector unions from requiring nonmembers to pay dues, further complicating their financial stability and influence.
Saunders began leading AFSCME during a challenging period following the Great Recession, when many states and municipalities faced budget shortfalls, leading to cuts in public-sector spending and services. Conservative lawmakers and donors have long criticized public employee unions as inefficient or costly, leading to laws that limit collective bargaining rights and push privatization. This resistance continues today, exemplified by instances such as Alaska’s decision to close its public retirement program in 2006, which later contributed to significant staffing shortages in state agencies. Although Alaska's legislature passed a bill to reinstate the pension with bipartisan support in April 2025, Governor Mike Dunleavy vetoed it in May, highlighting ongoing political obstacles.
Despite these challenges, AFSCME maintained a broad coalition of members across diverse professions and political views. According to Saunders, the union’s strength comes from its inclusivity and focus on improving working conditions that unite members. The union represents a wide range of public-sector roles, including nurses, transportation workers, corrections officers, domestic workers, clerks, law enforcement, and librarians. Managing internal divisions has been a key part of Saunders’s leadership, especially around controversies such as the calls to exclude law enforcement groups after the murder of George Floyd.
Under Saunders’s guidance, AFSCME also sought to assert the importance of public-sector workers in maintaining essential government functions. He notably collaborated with Democratic leaders to advance the $1.9 trillion stimulus package in 2021, aimed at supporting states, local governments, and their employees amid the COVID-19 pandemic’s economic fallout. Saunders has argued that attacks on public-sector wages and benefits are misguided responses to broader economic challenges.
Looking ahead, union leaders under Saunders have adjusted to new economic realities and evolving labor demands. Efforts include securing private-sector grants to meet emerging workforce needs tied to rapid growth in sectors like data center construction—a field experiencing a boom associated with soaring demand for artificial intelligence infrastructure. Initiatives aim to balance these new opportunities while maintaining core union commitments to existing local members.
As Saunders prepares to step down, his career encapsulates the current paradox facing public-sector unions: heightened public approval alongside declining membership and political headwinds. How AFSCME and similar organizations navigate these tensions may shape the future of organized labor in the public sector.