“When I first received the call saying that I was going to be receiving an award, I honestly said ‘Oh, 689 is getting an award?’” said Raymond Jackson, ATU 689 President and Business Agent and the Trade Unionist of the Year awardee, who was joined on stage by leaders and members from his local, as well as ATU international president John Costa. As he accepted the award on behalf of his union he then led the delegation in a chant of “Who moves this region? We move this region!”
Moments of silence were observed for former AFL-CIO President Tom Donahue, DC CLUW’s Donna Brockington, and ATU 689 member Robert Cunningham, who was killed last month protecting a woman on the Metro and memorialized by Father Brian J. Jordan, who delivered the evening’s fiery invocation.
Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks welcomed the attendees, saying, “You've endured the changing tides and you have risen together, and it's because you stay true to your mission in stressful times. It's easy to splinter and go your own way or get swept away by feelings of hopelessness, but you have continued to do what you've always done: you band together even tighter, and you continue seeking fairness and dignity for working people, and you provide the work that is the backbone of our country.”
“Politics are personal,” said Kayla Mock of UFCW 400, which won an Organizing Award. “It's personal to workers who want to organize for better wages and to keep food on the table and the lights on. It's personal to workers who are bargaining with their employer for better access to wages and retirement with dignity. It's personal to people who work full-time and are homeless and it's personal to workers who are facing gun violence in their stores.”
During Covid, “when everybody was sitting home trying to figure out how to get work done,” said Michael Spiller from OPEIU Local 2, which won an Organizing Award, “Local 2 said ‘there's a new group of people out there that we need to organize...and over the past two and a half years we've organized 15 nonprofits in the DC area.”
“We are excited to start negotiating our first contract with the Shakespeare Theater, after we have just signed a contract with the Signature Theater, where we saw double digit increases for our workers in the first year,” reported Nick Arancibia, a vice president at IATSE 22, another Organizing Award-winner. “We would not be here without the enthusiasm of our unrepresented brothers, sisters, and kin who stand up and are joining with Local 22 to fight for representation and a better way of life after a global pandemic that has shut down our entire industry overnight.”
Even though hotel and restaurant workers were hit hard by the pandemic, “What I know about our workers is that they are resilient,” said UNITE HERE 25 Political Director Sam Epps, accepting a COPE Award. “We are coming back, and coming back stronger. We have workers who are now organizing, who want to organize other workers into the union. And so I certainly share this award with our workers at Local 25.”
“We are healthcare workers and as many of you know, we are dealing with short-staffing in all of our facilities from hospitals to long-term care facilities,” said SEIU 1199 MD/DC Political Director Ricarra Jones, accepting a COPE award. “Yet the people on this stage knew how important the general election was, and they took time from their jobs, they took time from their families to make sure they went out and knocked over a hundred thousand doors.” ATU 689 also won a COPE Award, and Derrick Nabors said “We are honored and will keep up the hard work for the working class.” The final COPE Award went to AFSCME Maryland, “From Garrett County all the way to Worcester County, these are the people that make Maryland happen,” said president Pat Moran.
"We are deeply grateful for this recognition, representing our commitment to supporting and collaborating with our fellow labor unions in our community," said a representative of PGCEA, accepting the Outstanding Ally Award. "We all play a critical role in advocating for workers' rights, promoting economic security and ensuring that everyone has access to safe and dignified working conditions."
"Anyone who knows me knows that community service is near and dear to my heart," said Thomas M. Bradley Community Services Award-winner Ottis Johnson Jr. of AFGE District 14, "But let me tell you, this award may have my name on it, but none of this would have been possible without the members of the mighty AFGE Fighting 14th!"
"The power of unionism is in its members and its members standing boldly together to support each other in the cause of trade unionism," said Chuck Clay of IATSE 22 as he accepted the Joslyn N. Williams Vanguard Award. "Solidarity forever, for the union makes us strong.” UNITE HERE 25’s John Boardman, who also won a Vanguard Award, added, “I leave you with three words: organize, organize, organize!”
We were also honored to be joined our region's political leaders including Maryland Lieutenant Governor Aruna Miller and Second Gentleman David Miller; Maryland Secretary of Labor Portia Wu; Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown; Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy; Prince George’s County Council District 8 member Edward P. Burroughs III; Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich; Maryland House Speaker Adrienne Jones; Baltimore Labor Council President Courtney Jenkins; Maryland State and D.C. AFL-CIO President Donna S. Edwards; Maryland Democratic Party Chair Yvette Lewis; Maryland Democratic Party Vice Chair Everett Browning; and DC Council Chair Phil Mendelson. And a thank you to Maryland Governor Wes Moore who provided a heart-felt virtual keynote address.
View the photobooth photos from the evening, and thank you to everyone who joined us for this fantastic event!
