The 75-year-old union leader announced his decision in a letter to union members last week.

"No one likes a fight as much as I do, but I am also aware of one's personal limitations," he wrote. "As I enter my 75th year in life and 50th in the labor movement, I realize it is time to leave this fight to a new generation of labor leaders."

The AFL-CIO is an umbrella organization that represents dozens of local unions across the state including longshoremen, machinists, plumbers and nearly 17,000 teachers and state and municipal employees.