September 17—Laura Rico (left) is president of the ABC Federation of Teachers in southern California.  She is also a vice-president of the national AFL-CIO, the country's largest labor federation, which met in convention this week in Pittsburgh.  Randi Weingarten (right), national AFT president, also participated in the convention, which featured officer elections and set policy for the federation for the coming two years.  Among the highlights:  election of Rich Trumka as president, Arlene Holt Baker as Executive Vice President, and Liz Schuler as Secretary-Treasurer; passage of resolutions supporting the "public option" in national health care legislation as well as the ultimate goal of a single payer health care system; and a speech by President Barack Obama. The federation also welcomed UNITE HERE, a union representing hotel and restaurant workers, back into the AFL-CIO.  Click here for more on the convention.