Virginia Labor Celebrates Wins, Looks to Future

(Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO)

More than 500 Northern Virginia labor leaders, friends and allies turned out to socialize, dine and dance with area politicians, union members and community supporters at Friday's Annual Tribute to NoVA Labor Dinner. IBEW President Ed Hill received the Excellence in Leadership Award, while Painters Council 51 collected the Excellence in Activism Award for their work in last year's election "setting the standard for volunteerism and activism in Northern VA." A grateful Senator Mark Warner introduced the Painters by noting that they "had so many signs up around Northern Virginia it was beyond belief." UFCW 400's Mark Federici, Dolores Trevino-Gerber (CWA 2222) and Linda Lawrence (OPEIU 2/IBEW 26) won this year's VALOR (Valued Achievement by a Labor Organization Representative) Awards. VA Delegate Eileen Filler-Corn, District 41 (second from right) presented Dan Duncan (3rd from right) with a Virginia House resolution congratulating him for receiving the 11th congressional district Democrats' Sturdivant Award for political and community service. Speakers included labor-endorsed Virginia gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe, Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, Congressmen Moran and Connolly, Virginia State AFL-CIO president Doris Crouse-Mays, and an invocation by Rev Graylan Hagler from DC's Plymouth Congregational Church. NOVA Labor president Dan Duncan thanked the Metro Washington Council and affiliates for support during the 2012 election. "We plan to be there again in 2013 to help ensure victory," promised Metro Washington Council president Jos Williams. 
- report/photo by Kathleen McKirchy; (l-r): Congressmen Jim Moran, Gerry Connolly, Karen Duncan, Jos Williams, Dan Duncan, Eileen Filler-Corn and VA State AFL-CIO president Doris Crouse-Mays.