2026 AFGE Young Worker Summit and S.T.A.N.D. Conference

Pride At Work members and staff joined AFGE's 2026 Service Through Action and National Development (S.T.A.N.D.) Conference in Atlanta, Georgia, from July 31 to August 3, 2026. During the conference, they participated in the Young Worker Summit, hosted by AFGE's Young Organizing Unionists for the Next Generation (Y.O.U.N.G.) program. The program brings together union members under the age of 40 to develop the next generation of labor leaders and activists within AFGE and the broader labor movement.

The Young Worker Summit featured trainings, panel discussions, and fireside chats focused on leadership development and member engagement. Sessions covered topics including Robert's Rules of Order, legislative advocacy, Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) rights and protections, and a Get Out the Vote (GOTV) training ahead of the 2026 primary elections. Speakers included leaders from IAM, AFGE District 5 in Atlanta, Danielle Brown of APRI and Black Voters Matter, and Alex Rias, Director of Civil, Human and Women's Rights at the AFL-CIO.

The summit also featured an intersectionality panel with Pride At Work Organizer Ash Kalinda alongside leaders from AFGE’s B.L.A.C.K. (Black Leaders Advancing Change and Knowledge), A.P.O.W.E.R. (Asian Pacific Organized Workers Empowering Representation), and HISCO (Hispanic Coalition) constituency groups. Panelists discussed the value in unions recognizing the experiences of workers with intersecting identities, creating pathways for young and historically marginalized members to step into leadership, and strengthening collaboration across constituency groups.

Beyond the panel, Pride At Work staff connected with members of AFGE's P.R.I.D.E. committee, whose leadership includes Pride At Work members Ashley Page, Mae apGovannon, and T Mac. These conversations highlighted the ongoing partnership between Pride At Work and AFGE in working to advance 2SLGBTQIA+ inclusion throughout the union.

Pride At Work congratulates AFGE President Dr. Reverend Everett Kelly and Vice President Dr. Kendrick Roberson on leading a successful conference and thanks the AFGE Y.O.U.N.G. for organizing an impactful summit that invested in the next generation of labor leaders.