The Northern Virginia Labor Federation hosted their biggest annual dinner to date. Over 500 union activists, community allies, elected officials, and candidates packed into the ballroom of the Sheraton Tyson’s Corner union hotel to celebrate victories and pay tribute to a great crop of honorees.
Senator Tim Kaine presented IBEW International President Ed Hill with the Excellence in Leadership Award for his years of dedicated service to working men and women. Senator Mark Warner then awarded IUPAT District Council 51 for their insane turnout of volunteers in last year’s election. In predictable form (for a local who turns out tons of vols), every IUPAT member at the dinner joined Business Manager Mark Heffron to accept the Excellence in Activism Award.
In a twist, the VALOR awards were surprises to the honorees. Mark Federici (UFCW 400 President), Linda Lawrence (OPEIU 2 member, IBEW 26) and Dolores Trevino-Gerber (CWA 2222 member, NoVA Labor 2nd VP) each had no idea they were being honored for their “Valued Achievement by a Labor Organization Representative.”
Then, the surpriser became the surprisee. Delegate Eileen Filler-Corn presented the final award to NOVA Labor President Dan Duncan (SIU Secretary-Treasurer, CWA/TNG member) recognizing all of his great work on behalf of NOVA’s labor movement.
It was an energizing night: a chance to break bread with friends, network and, most importantly, recommit to mobilizing on working family issues.
Virginia AFL-CIO Blog 