"When working people are under attack, what do we do?" asked Carl Goldman. "Stand up, fight back!" thundered back the 900-strong crowd Saturday night at the 40th annual Evening with Labor. The longtime organizer and AFSCME Council 26 Executive Director was named Trade Unionist of the Year to a standing ovation from an enthusiastic crowd clearly pumped up by the collapse of the GOP/Trump attempt to repeal Obamacare and Goldman exhorted them to continue the fight to defend federal workers. "Trump and the Congressional majority and their corporate backers are out to kill us and the rest of the labor movement," Goldman (center, with plaque) warned. Solidarity and resistance were the watchwords of the night, repeated by speaker after speaker, from Metro Washington Council president Jackie Jeter -- "Our fight is a bigger fight" -- to AFL-CIO Secretary Treasurer Liz Shuler -- "One word: 'unity'" -- as well as political leaders like Maryland U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen and DC Mayor Muriel Bowser. The other awardees were: AFSCME 1959 (Organizing); CWA locals 2107, 2018, 2222, 2300 and 2336 (Golden Picket); Herbert Harris and Dyana Forester (COPE DC and Maryland, respectively); Jim Griffin (Community Services) and Jews United for Justice (Community Ally). Check out our photo album of award-winners. - report by Chris Garlock, photo by Chris Langford
RSS Feed