Evening With Labor Pays Tribute To Political Friends

(Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO)

The biggest laugh of the evening came when Senator Paul Sarbanes (D, MD), promised “I’ll be brief, since I’m a firm believer that these events should end on the same day they began.” Sarbanes, who was honored at Saturday night’s 29th annual Evening With Labor, went on to address some of the same issues he’s been battling for decades as a pro-labor U.S. Senator, excoriating the Bush Administration for favoring the rich at the expense of the rest of the nation. Sarbanes was introduced by AFL-CIO President John Sweeney, who noted that “We honor Senator Sarbanes because he has honored working people.” Also honored Saturday night was Washington Mayor Tony Williams, whose development from a rocky relationship with unions to a strong worker advocate was recognized by Council President Jos Williams, Building Trades Secretary-Treasurer Jerry Lozupone and AFSCME Council 20 Executive Director George Johnson. In a sign of a busy election year to come, political friends of labor turned out in force, along with campaign stickers, literature and glad-handing. Denise Rolark Barnes accepted the first Wilhemina Roark Outstanding Citizen Award on behalf of the longtime DC activist and former City Council member who passed away earlier this year. A fervent and outspoken labor advocate, Rolark once sent back an entire batch of campaign literature that arrived without a union bug, Barnes reported. In their first Evening With Labor appearance, the DC Labor Chorus got the evening off to a rousing start and Tommy Bryant and the Giants of Sound filled the dance floor at the end of the night.