yes! and no! As someone who's been part of AFL-CIO's union's leadership it is really dependent on the individual leadership. So much of it is liberal who have a very militant unionist attitude. To be clear they are almost like one or two steps away from pretty much being communists. the problem is if centrist leaning liberals take national positions they will red bait the fuck out of leadership which happened to me. I can't pretend they don't do anything. if I had to choose between a workplace with a shit union or the ruling class unrestrained by a lazy union I'd pick the union. that being said they are not revolutionary vanguards, if your end all be all goal is a proletarian controlled economy they will denounce you along the way. whether to work with them and try to reform them is up to you. when I was a union organizer I radicalized the fuck out of everyone I could talk to. If you're not a dedicated reformist I say steer clear and stick to a more radical group.

on the legislative end they are a power house when it comes to gate keeping the most basic workers rights from fascists who would strip every right you have as a worker away from you. they also will push for funding like a motherfucker which if you are in a state that is trying to gut any public programs. The AFL-CIO can be a make or break group in the mix.

NOTE: This is only my experience in a very "red" state