Congratulations to National APRI Board Chairman Fred Redmond on being elected to the AFL-CIO Executive Council. Mr. Redmond was one of 4 members approved for the Executive Council. President John Sweeney stated, “The AFL-CIO proudly welcomes four dedicated, committed leaders of the American labor movement to our Executive Council. Their years of collective experience fighting on behalf of working families will prove invaluable as the AFL-CIO continues to confront the many challenges facing America’s workers.”

Fred Redmond replaces former United Steelworkers’ Vice President, Leon Lynch who has retired. Mr. Redmond joined United Steelworkers in 1973 when he went to work at an Illinois steel mill. He served in several local union offices and in 1996, joined the union’s national staff. Mr. Redmond has assisted in developing training programs for USW. In 2005, he was elected as USW Vice President. Fred Redmond chairs the union’s Container Industry Conference and coordinates bargaining for the USW health care and public employees sector.

So again congratulations to Fred Redmond for all his hard word and dedication to the labor movement through out the years.

The Empire State Pride Agenda would like to thank APRI, labor leadrs, labor unions and federations, and allied organizations for making lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) workers feel pride in thier union.

Please click on the link below to view file. 

Empire State Pride Agenda - Thank You

 

 

Thank you SEIU for having the highest number of attendees at the APRI Annual National Education Conference. Here is the newsletter SEIU Local 721 produced and would like to share. Thanks again SEIU, we look forward to seeing you in Jacksonville, Florida.

Please click on the link below to view newsletter.

 

SEIU 721 Newsletter - Taking the Lead:

APRI 38th National Education Conference

 

 

In recognition of its hard-won freedom, Ghana, the first nation in Sub-Saharan Africa to win its independence, hosted moving and joyful celebrations in March 1957 that attracted dignitaries from around the globe. Among the celebrants was an official US delegation led by Vice President Richard Nixon and which included the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., Congressmen Charles Diggs and Adam Clayton Powell III, Ambassador Ralph Bunche, civil rights activist A. Phillip Randolph, education leader, Horace Mann Bond, and publishing magnate John Johnson

On April 24, 2007 Ms. Clayola Brown accepted a posthumous award presented to A. Philip Randolph in deep appreciation for the years of extraordinary contributions and service towards Ghana’s independence from the Embassy of Ghana. As part of the celebration Ghana honored the original members of the US Delegation by presenting posthumous awards to their descendents. Among those invited to accept the posthumous awards were Bernice King, Del. Adam Clayton Powell IV, Linda Johnson Rice, Ralph Bunche Jr., and Michael Julian Bond.

Kim Ratliff, Vice President of the Charlotte, North Carolina APRI chapter is spotlighted in this months issue of Black Enterprise Magazine in the article "10 Best Citities For Africain Americans" on page 105.

Congratulations to Ms. Kim!

APRI has influenced innumerable elections crucial to the Black-Labor Alliance. We have registered and brought to the polls millions of black voters across the nation, working in virtually every city with a sizable black population. Other APRI success stories include:

• In 1990, APRI members helped the United Food and Commercial Workers gain a fair contract for the predominantly black and female workforce at the Delta Pride catfish plant in Mississippi by building black community support for these union workers' struggle
• In the 1980's, APRI helped deny federal funds to discriminatory institutions by lobbying to override President Reagan's veto of civil rights legislation APRI also helped successfully lobby to renew and strengthen the Voting Rights Act and to establish the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday