America's largest labor movement congratulates Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce: 'It's better in a union'

4 hours ago 1

It's a union love story, baby.

Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift officially tied the knot in an exclusive wedding at Madison Square Garden in New York City on Friday. Fans from across the globe rushed to congratulate the couple on their high-profile nuptials, including the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations. The AFL-CIO is the largest federation of unions in the country.

Swift is a member of the American Federation of Musicians and SAG-AFTRA, while Kelce is a member of the NFL Players Association.

"It's better in a union," the AFL-CIO wrote on X. "Congrats to @The_AFM and @sagaftra member @taylorswift13 and @NFLPA member @tkelce on their marriage!"

In a separate X post, the AFL-CIO said Madison Square Garden "is a completely union venue."

Swift has shown support for unions in the past, including in 2023 during the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strike. While major studios and streamers resisted meeting union demands, Swift worked with SAG-AFTRA to secure an interim agreement for her concert film, "Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour."

She's not exactly a stalwart, however. In July of that same year, Unite Here Local 11, which represents 32,000 hospitality workers, urged Swift to cancel her Los Angeles-based concerts in support of their labor strike. She did not.

The high-profile nuptials drew hundreds of celebrities to New York City amid a sweltering heat wave. Paparazzi spotted Jason Sudeikis, Hugh Grant, Benson Boone, Ethan Hawke, Gigi Hadid, Bradley Cooper, Jessica Alba, and more entering the venue.

Adam Sandler, a friend of the couple, officiated the wedding, the AP reported. Austin Swift served as his sister's Man of Honor, and Jason Kelce served as his brother's Best Man. While saying "I do," the couple donned outfits designed by Christian Dior's creative director, Jonathan Anderson, and jewelry from Cartier.

While many of the event's details were kept secret, TMZ reported that more than 1,000 guests were expected to attend, and that the couple paid millions of dollars to rent Madison Square Garden for several days. A City Hall spokesperson told CBS News that a permit was filed to close the streets surrounding the venue from July 2 to July 4.

The couple, who got engaged in August 2025 after two years of dating, donated $26 million to 20 local and national charities ahead of the ceremony. Swift's publicist said the donations were tied to places that have shaped their lives, including Rhode Island and New York City. One of the recipients, Harvesters — The Community Food Network, said Swift and Kelce donated $1 million to its food bank in an Instagram post.

"We'd like to send a heartfelt thank you to @taylorswift and @killatrav for their very generous donation to our food bank just prior to their big wedding day," the nonprofit said. "The two of them have incredibly big hearts and have shown up to support not only us but many charities over the years."

Lauren Edmonds is an award-winning reporter on the Business News team. When news isn't breaking, she covers personal finance, kitchen-table economics, and paths to financial freedom, including investing, real estate, side hustles, and small business. She also writes about guaranteed and universal basic income programs in the United States.Lauren has also covered lifestyle and entertainment, digital culture, and more. She has a master's degree from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and resides in New York City.Do you have an interesting story to tell? You can reach Lauren at [email protected] or on Signal at ledmonds0.07.Popular StoriesNetflix wants to be Disney when it grows up Why Hollywood is paying this 17-year-old up to $20,000 to boost film trailers with TikTok editsHere's all the free money Trump's talked about giving Americans during his second term — and where it all standsA 17-year-old earned $72,000 after investing his e-commerce profits into stocks. Here's why he bet on the tech industry.Lawmakers float a nationwide basic income experiment that would cover the cost of a 2-bedroom apartmentNearly 30,000 Americans have received about $335 million in basic income. Here are 5 takeaways. Americans ditch suffocating healthcare costs and divisive politics to retire in Italy: 'It's the way they approach life'From 'road-schooling' to gas that costs $500, this family of 4 shares what it's like living in a solar-powered Greyhound bus