Bernie Burnham

Bernie Burnham has served as President of the Minnesota AFL-CIO since February of 2022.

Burnham spent 14 years as an elementary school teacher and was actively involved in the labor management process in the Duluth Public Schools for nine years, four of those prior to being elected president of the Duluth Federation of Teachers. She served in that role for five years.

Burnham served as the Vice President of Education Minnesota from 2019-2021. On Dec. 14, 2021, the General Board of the Minnesota AFL-CIO unanimously elected her as the Labor Federation’s President. In September of 2022, the Minnesota AFL-CIO Convention re-elected Burnham to serve full 4-year term. She co-chaired the Minnesota AFL-CIO’s Committee on Racial & Economic Justice from 2020 to 2022.

Burnham’s election was history-making for the state’s labor movement. As a Pacific-Islander, she is the first person of color to lead the Minnesota AFL-CIO.

As President, Bernie has focused on building cross-sector solidarity among affiliated unions, making the Labor Movement more inclusive for traditionally marginalized workers, and growing the number of affiliated unions across the state.

Other Affiliations: National AFL-CIO Executive Council; National AFL-CIO Advisory Committee on State and Local Labor Councils; Minnesota Worker’s Compensation Advisory Council; Governor’s Workforce Development Board; Governor’s Workforce Development Board Trades Committee; Minnesota Job Skills Partnership; Workers Confluence Fund Steering Committee, Minnesota Self-Insurer's Security Fund Trustee, IWA/GWDB/MNP20 Committee on Educator Workforce, Workers' Compensation Reinsurance Association.