VANCOUVER — A record 274 union members, politicians, family, and friends attended the 33rd annual Labor Roundtable of Southwest Washington awards banquet, held Sept. 29 at the Vancouver Hilton Hotel and Convention Center. Awards were presented to individuals and organizations whose leadership has made a significant impact on organized labor and the community at large.
Washington Lt. Gov. Cyrus Habib, the keynote speaker, said when the average person talks about ‘making America great again,’ they’re not thinking about immigration or the environment. They’re nostalgic for economic security. “That’s what people remember. They remember having a union that represented them. Having wages that kept up with — and actually led — the standard of living; a pension so they could protect and plan for their future. They had health insurance that made sure they were taken care of and their kids were taken care of. They had labor protections at the workplace so that they wouldn’t get injured, but if they got injured they would have good federal protections and workers’ compensation. And they had a plan to be able to buy a home and invest in their kids’ future because of the work that unions did. … We need to make sure that we remember the recipe for greatness in this country. We know what it was. … We know how to do all that.”
Awards
- Phil Parker Public Service Award for Excellence: Evelina Kurilenko, Supervisor, Clark County Sheriff’s Office
- Union Member of the Year: Carl Sofie, United Food & Commercial Workers #365
- Labor Leader of the Year: Gil Freeland, Vice President, Plumbers & Fitters #290
- Labor Union of the Year: Operating Engineers Local 701
- Community Service: Marc Boldt, Chair, Board of Clark County Councilors
- Lifetime Achievement: Gay Lincoln, Machinists District W24
- Labor Service Award: Brian Wolfe, Port of Vancouver Commissioner
- Business of the Year: Cowlitz Indian Tribe
- Legislator of the Year: Sharon Wylie, State Rep 49th District
- In Solidarity Award: Katie Archer Jolma, President, Clark County Democratic Women (Presented by the SW Washington Central Labor Council)
- Citizens Honored for Military Service: Richard Brown, Laborers #335, US Army 1958 -1962
