In Memoriam: Ken Howard, Robert McGlotten, Richard Murphy

Ken Howard: SAG-AFTRA President Ken Howard passed away on Wednesday. An accomplished actor, author, teacher and unionist, Howard's steady leadership as president of Screen Actors Guild positioned him to guide the union’s historic 2012 merger with American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. "Ken was a unifier, a true professional and a powerful voice for working people," said AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka. "From his roles as Thomas Jefferson to Tip O’Neill to the White Shadow, he leaves an indelible legacy. He will be greatly missed." Howard and SAG-AFTRA were strong and longtime supporters of the DC Labor FilmFest. Click here for more on the AFL-CIO Now blog and the SAG-AFTRA website. 
Robert McGlotten: Former AFL-CIO Legislative Director Robert M. McGlotten passed away on March 12. "McGlotten’s work impacted all aspects of the labor movement from unemployment to taxes to trade to health and urban mass transit," said the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, on whose board McGlotten had served. "He was committed to bringing national attention to key issues and concerns of the labor movement." McGlotten had a long and distinguished 28-year career with the AFL-CIO. 
Richard Murphy: Union leader and Democratic political activist Richard Murphy died March 15 at 84. Murphy was the legislative and political director of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) from the late 1960s to early ’80s. He successfully lobbied Congress for minimum wage protections for nursing home workers and for the right of nonprofit hospital workers to unionize and engage in collective bargaining. Read more here.