Celebrate 60: Honoring six decades of Cornell ILR labor education
November 25 2007
Labor leaders, ILR alumni and Cornell board members attend gala event
On November 15, 2007 in New York City, Cornell University ILR School faculty, staff and supporters celebrated 60 years of partnership between Cornell and the New York labor movement in a gala evening of music, recognition, inspiration, and entertainment.
Since 1947, ILR School Extension labor education programs have helped thousands of union members, leaders and activists face the challenges of a changing workplace. This special benefit event focused on the achievements of the unique partnership between Cornell University and the New York labor movement.
The honorary co-hosts for the celebration were Richard Trumka, Secretary-Treasurer of the AFL-CIO, Lois S. Gray, Dean Emeritus of the Cornell ILR Extension Division, Denis M. Hughes, President of the New York State AFL-CIO, and Bruce Raynor, President of UNITE-HERE. Both Hughes and Raynor are members of the Cornell University board of trustees.
The event was held at SEIU Local 32 B-J’s location in Manhattan. Over 400 labor alumni and labor supporters from all across the state celebrated the accomplishments of the last 60 years, recognized some of the “unsung heroes and heroines” of the labor movement, and looked ahead to the challenges and opportunities of the next 60 years.
The celebration honored individuals and unions with exceptional commitment to labor education and to visionary leadership in labor. Honorees included:
• Randi Weingarten (ILR ’80) and the United Federation of Teachers
• Gerry Hudson and SEIU/1199; and the Arts and Entertainment Committee of the New York State AFL-CIO.
• Kate Bronfenbrenner, ILR Director of Labor Education Research, recognized for her academic research in service to the labor movement.
• A special award for courage was named after the late Jessica Govea Thorbourne, a Cornell Labor Programs faculty member who died in 2005. The individuals receiving that award were Byron Silva of the Laborers’ Eastern Region, and Kathy D’Arminio of Public Employees Federation.
Emcee for the event was Jackie Guerra, talk radio personality, film and TV actress, author, stand-up comic, and labor rights and social justice activist.
Proceeds from the Anniversary Celebration will be used to support Cornell ILR’s continued work in labor education: developing programs, funding scholarships, engaging in new research, and supporting the many educational activities that strengthen New York’s unions and benefit working people.
