The Wayne Morse Award for Integrity and Passion was presented to Joe Esmonde, political director for International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 48. The presentation was made at the Wayne Morse Gala dinner April 17 hosted by the Democratic Party of Oregon.
Esmonde has worked for the union for the past 25 years. A child of parents who went through the Great Depression, Esmonde credited President Roosevelt for providing opportunities and security for working people during difficult times. “Without FDR, it would have been different. The Democrats fixed it,” he said.
Esmonde thanked his union for providing the same opportunities to him and his family today, which allowed him to own a home, send his sons to college, and enjoy a middle-class way of life.
Also attending the Wayne Morse Gala were Gov. Kate Brown, U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley, and Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum. The keynote speaker was U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota.
