Minnesota organizers of last year?s Immigrant Workers Freedom Ride and labor activist Jon Youngdahl were honored Saturday night at Progressive Minnesota?s annual ?Winning Big? awards dinner.
The fifth annual ?Winning Big? awards dinner, at the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 789 hall in South St. Paul, drew several hundred activists from the labor and progressive communities.
The award for the Immigrant Workers Freedom Ride was accepted by one of its organizers, Uriel Perez Espinoza, vice president of Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees Local 17.
Last summer, a Minnesota coalition came together to mobilize state participation in a nationwide Immigrant Workers Freedom Ride, to call for immigrant workers? rights in the workplace and to advocate for other civil rights issues.
This year, Minnesota is one of 10 states actively continuing this effort.
The labor community offered significant support to the Minnesota effort last year, said Espinoza, and he challenged labor representatives at the gathering to continue their involvement in the struggle for immigrant workers? rights. ?We?re still burning for justice,? he said.
Honoree Jon Youngdahl currently is working as state coordinator of Labor 2004, labor?s political effort in the 2004 elections. He is on leave from his job as state director of the Service Employees International Union Minnesota State Council. He worked previously for the steelworkers union and was formerly director of Minnesota COACT, where he addressed family farm issues and health insurance reform issues.
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Uriel Perez Espinoza (left) accepted the award for the Immigrant Workers Freedom Ride. Jon Youngdahl was honored for many years of activism. Labor Review photos |
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?I don?t have to tell anyone in this room the stakes in this election,? Youngdahl said, ?Fortunately, brothers and sisters, if we look around this room tonight, we see that the level or organizing is going up, and if we do our job right, George W. Bush is going down in November.?
The Headwaters Foundation for Justice also was honored with a ?Winning Big? award from Progressive Minnesota. ?We move money to people raising hell in the community to make it a more fair and more just place to live,? said Steve Newcomb, Headwaters? director, accepting the award.
Members of Progressive Minnesota, founded 10 years ago, include individuals, union locals, and community organizations. Progressive Minnesota engages in legislative and electoral campaigns to advance issues identified by its members.
For more information
Visit the Progressive Minnesota website, www.progressivemn.org
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Minnesota organizers of last year?s Immigrant Workers Freedom Ride and labor activist Jon Youngdahl were honored Saturday night at Progressive Minnesota?s annual ?Winning Big? awards dinner.
The fifth annual ?Winning Big? awards dinner, at the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 789 hall in South St. Paul, drew several hundred activists from the labor and progressive communities.
The award for the Immigrant Workers Freedom Ride was accepted by one of its organizers, Uriel Perez Espinoza, vice president of Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees Local 17.
Last summer, a Minnesota coalition came together to mobilize state participation in a nationwide Immigrant Workers Freedom Ride, to call for immigrant workers? rights in the workplace and to advocate for other civil rights issues.
This year, Minnesota is one of 10 states actively continuing this effort.
The labor community offered significant support to the Minnesota effort last year, said Espinoza, and he challenged labor representatives at the gathering to continue their involvement in the struggle for immigrant workers? rights. ?We?re still burning for justice,? he said.
Honoree Jon Youngdahl currently is working as state coordinator of Labor 2004, labor?s political effort in the 2004 elections. He is on leave from his job as state director of the Service Employees International Union Minnesota State Council. He worked previously for the steelworkers union and was formerly director of Minnesota COACT, where he addressed family farm issues and health insurance reform issues.
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Uriel Perez Espinoza (left) accepted the award for the Immigrant Workers Freedom Ride. Jon Youngdahl was honored for many years of activism. Labor Review photos |
|
?I don?t have to tell anyone in this room the stakes in this election,? Youngdahl said, ?Fortunately, brothers and sisters, if we look around this room tonight, we see that the level or organizing is going up, and if we do our job right, George W. Bush is going down in November.?
The Headwaters Foundation for Justice also was honored with a ?Winning Big? award from Progressive Minnesota. ?We move money to people raising hell in the community to make it a more fair and more just place to live,? said Steve Newcomb, Headwaters? director, accepting the award.
Members of Progressive Minnesota, founded 10 years ago, include individuals, union locals, and community organizations. Progressive Minnesota engages in legislative and electoral campaigns to advance issues identified by its members.
For more information
Visit the Progressive Minnesota website, www.progressivemn.org