PAGE 8 | June 17, 2016 | NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS
2016 Labor Appreciation & Recognition Dinner
Nearly 300 people gathered June
4 for the annual Labor Apprecia-
tion and Recognition Night ban-
quet sponsored by the Northwest
Oregon Labor Council (NOLC).
The event recognizes people for
their commitment to helping bet-
ter the lives of workers and people
in their communities. It also dou-
bles as a fundraiser for Labor’s
Community Service Agency
(LCSA). This year’s event raised
$2,500.
Top recognition is the Del
Ricks Community Service
Award in honor of the late Del
Ricks, who was LCSA’s executive
director for 17 years. The 2016 re-
cipient is Madelyn Elder of
Communications Workers of
America (CWA) Local 7901.
Elder spent 21 years at the local —
six years as secretary-treasurer and
five three-year terms as president.
She is a volunteer at the Rebuild-
ing Center, a non-profit resource
to strengthen the environmental,
economic and social fabric of lo-
cal communities. For many years
she has organized fundraisers and
participated in legislative work for
the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric
AIDS Foundation, where they
seek to end pediatric HIV/AIDS
through research, advocacy, pre-
vention and treatment programs.
She also is a long time activist
with the Cross-Border Labor Or-
ganizing Committee of the Port-
land Central America Solidarity
Coalition. Today, Elder is the chief
financial officer for Oregon
Tradeswomen, Inc., a non-profit
that recruits women to pursue ca-
reers in high-skill, traditionally-
male building trades.
The “Heritage Award” was
presented to Bob Petroff, a union
rep for Machinists District Lodge
W24 and former five-term presi-
dent of the Northwest Oregon La-
bor Council, and to Joe Esmonde,
a recently retired union rep and
lobbyist for IBEW Local 48 and
the building trades.
RECOGNITION AWARDS
went to:
Amanda Swan, vice chair of
IBEW 48’s Sound and Communi-
cations Division;
Claudella Walland, vice pres-
ident of the American Federation
of Teachers-Oregon Retirees;
Darren Hamann, business
agent for Bakers Local 114;
Jill Lukens, a behind-the-
scenes volunteer at labor events
who is the daughter of retired
NOLC Executive Secretary Judy
O’Connor and spouse of Will
and United Workers Federal
Credit Union.
Committee for Women
from United Association Local
290: Amanda Brooks, Jessica
Voeller, Cricket Merans,
Melissa Nash, Alisha Nash,
Ashley Haysom, Ashley Tri,
Alison Craig, Iris Gandarilla,
Suzanne Scheans, Zory Hill,
Nancy Foster, and Ashley
Workman. The women — all
MADELYN ELDER receives the Del
Ricks Community Service Award
Lukens, a union rep for Machin-
ists District W24;
Rose Etta Venetucci, presi-
dent of the International Al-
liance of Theatrical Stage Em-
ployees (IATSE) Local 28;
Radar Bateman, an IATSE
international rep and member of
Portland Local 28;
Kyle Sims of United Steel-
workers Local 8378;
Dixie Hyde of Steelworkers
Local 1199;
Paula Kingsbury of AFT-Ore-
gon Retirees;
Kathy Muir of Portland Fed-
eration of School Professionals
Local 111;
Sarah Newman, a member of
Office and Professional Employ-
ees Local 11 employed at IBEW
working tradeswomen who are
plumbers and steamfitters — or-
ganize and put on a popular
hands-on workshop at the
Women in Trades Career Fair
sponsored annually by Oregon
Tradeswomen.
Guest speakers were Oregon
Attorney General Ellen Rosen-
blum and Oregon Labor Com-
missioner Brad Avakian. Some
of the dignitaries attending were
Clackamas County Commission-
ers Martha Schrader and Jim
Bernard; Washington County
Commissioners Dick Schouten
and Greg Malinowski; state leg-
islator Lew Frederick; Love
Centerwell, vice president, cor-
porate relations, for United Way
of the Columbia-Willamette, and
retired NOLC executive secretary
Judy O’Connor.