Congratulations to the winners of the Wisconsin AFL-CIO Community Service Conference Awards. The 2019 Ralph A. Jirikowic Award was awarded to Pamela Fendt, LIUNA Local 113. The 2019 Community Services Project Award was awarded to IBEW Local 388.
Recipients were honored at the Wisconsin AFL-CIO Community Services Conference last week in La Crosse. Recipients were chosen for their dedication to building labor solidarity and service to the community.
2019 Ralph A. Jirikowic Award
Pamela Fendt
Laborers International Union Local #113
2019 Community Services Project Award
IBEW Local 388
The 2019 Ralph A. Jirikowic Award was awarded to Pamela Fendt, Laborers International Union Local #113. Fendt was nominated by Dan Bukiewicz, President of the Milwaukee Building and Construction Trades Council, for her many commitments that exemplify union dedication to the community.
Fendt was vital in creating the Moore Ordinance in the City of Milwaukee which requires projects with city funding to hire city residents and encourages minority participation in construction projects.
As President of Milwaukee Area Labor Council, Fendt is building solidarity among affiliates at the local level and working to increase engagement and organize key events to honor workers during Workers’ Memorial Day event and Milwaukee Labor Day parade. In the last year, Fendt led efforts to refurbish Milwaukee’s only Workers Memorial, the Workers Memorial Gazebo at Zeidler Union Square Park in Milwaukee.
Fendt organizes the Milwaukee Building and Construction Trades Council Toy Drive for children, organizing the collection of 7,000 construction-related gifts for area non-profits to distribute. During the federal shutdown, Fendt organized a hot meal and gift cards for impacted workers.
The 2019 Community Services Project Award was awarded IBEW Local 388 for their work spearheading the “Labor History Through Film” project. IBEW Local 388 were nominated by Randy Radtke, President of the Marathon County Central Labor Council.
“Labor History Through Film” brings important labor history to life by bringing key labor films to central Wisconsin residents for free.
“Labor History Through Film” started 4 years ago and rotates between Steven’s Point and Wausau. The movie screenings bring union members and community members together to learn vital lessons of labor history through film. This is a fun and engaging way to learn about, promote, and connect with labor.
Jeff Starr, IBEW Local 388, detailed how his daughter, Amber, first had the idea to bring the film project to life. She watched a labor history film and said "more people need to see this and learn this."
"I said let's do it," explained Starr. "The local, IBEW 388, has been extremely supportive, as have other local unions in the area and the Marathon County Labor Council and the Portage County Labor Council. We invite high school students, apprentices, community members, every one is welcome. We really want to target young people who may not be aware of all that working people have fought for. Show them the struggles that ordinary people lost their lives for, things we take for granted today. There was no unemployment, no safety, no respect. People lost lives for an 8-hour work day or enough money to feed a family."
"This project fills a void to get the basics of labor history and past struggles to a younger generation. It also connects young people with older members of the audience who maybe lived through or had family history of these struggles."
IBEW Local 388 members Dylan Dahlstrom, Tyler Hoppa, Forest Peplinski and Patrick Schulfer accepted the award.
About the Ralph A. Jirikowic Award: Established in 1984, the Ralph A. Jirikowic Award is the most prestigious award the Wisconsin AFL-CIO offers for service to the community. This award is given annually to a union member who has demonstrated a continuous record of dedicated service in the workplace, the local union, and the community. The award was renamed in 1987 in memory of Ralph A. Jirikowic, a 49-year member of the UAW Local 9 Brewery Workers Union. Jirikowic served as Vice President of the Milwaukee Area Labor Council and left the Wisconsin labor movement with a legacy of caring and helping.
About the Community Services Project Award: The Community Service Project Award recognizes union members who undertake unique and innovative projects that give back to the community.
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