Union Women's Work Not Done
Friday, May 11, 2007
“Throughout my whole working life, my fate was always
dependent on a manager's decision,” said Teresa Martin at Metro DC CLUW’s
Gloria T. Johnson Awards Luncheon last Sunday, “I was laid off…forced to
take a (lowerpaying) job…When I finally was hired for my present job and
joined the UAW, I was so thankful for every benefit (that) I felt like I should
give my time back to serve the people who work on my behalf. Since then, my work
has developed into a passion to help others who are affected by anti-working
family issues.” Martin and Clayola Brown each received DC CLUW’s crystal
"Breaking the Glass Ceiling " Award at Sunday’s Luncheon. Added Brown, the
first black woman to serve as an international vice-president for UNITE and the
first woman elected president of the A. Philip Randolph Institute, “I have
stood on the shoulders of and been supported by my many union and CLUW sisters
and this award is really a testimony to their strength (and) courage.” Gloria
Johnson, President Emerita of CLUW and originator of the award, noted how hard
women have worked to gain recognition and that the job “is not over yet. Women
need to step up to the challenges that organized labor faces right now and make
their views heard.” (from left to right) Clayola Brown,
Gloria Johnson, Fred Mason, and Teresa Martin, photo by Claudia
Cole
-reported by Connie Cordovilla