His parents were Polish Jews who had four sons, all of whom became active in leftist politics.
Foner started out as a leader in Department Store Local 1250, then moved on to Union 1199, where he became the director of education and culture.
While there, he founded Bread and Roses, a cultural program for union members funded by the NEA.
Foner wrote the foreword to Women of Hope: African Americans Who Made A Difference, a children's book by Joyce Hansen.
The book featured images from a Bread and Roses poster series which aimed to "honor courageous, creative women of color whose persistence and vision gave society hopefulness and inspiration.