The Western Maine Labor Council & Museum L/A’s 2009 Workers Memorial Day/ May Day breakfast was a huge success. 150 people attended and packed the downstairs breakfast hall. A good time was had by all.
Attendees were treated to a powerful and moving set of labor music from Charlie King and Karen Brandow in the upstairs concert hall. Many folks commented on how much they loved the music. Here is there website: www.charlieking.org The music was introduced by Marty Perlmutter, a Maine AFL-CIO peer support worker, who shared a poem he’d written – 20 Years - about getting laid off.
Also recognized were recognized 3 award winners for their contributions to the labor movement and working people. The workers at Knight Celotex were honored with the Bruce Roy award for having the courage and solidarity to form a union at their workplace. Lucille Barrett, a long time union President at Bates Manufacturing, was recognized for her commitment to her fellow workers. Also honored, was Frances Perkins and the newly created Frances Perkins Center with an award received by her grandson. She was the first female Secretary of Labor in the U.S. in the President Roosevelt's Administration. See the Frances Perkins Center website at www.FrancesPerkinsCenter.org
Randy Berry offered a moving tribute to Bruce Roy and the names of the 29 workers who died on the job this year were read with someone holding a card of their name and when their name was read the card holders rose to have them recognized. . The program concluded with a rousing version of Solidarity Forever.
