The eleventh annual Irish Echo Labor Awards, held on Friday, November 5, carried a special component with the honoring of Irish American Labor Coalition co-founder and Belfast native Jim Devine.
The award was presented to Devine by New York State Senator Tim Kennedy and here is an extract from remarks delivered by Buffalo-based Senator Kennedy.
"These past two years have been anything but easy, and the pandemic has kept so many of us separated out of an abundance of caution and safety. But it is truly wonderful to see so many of you again tonight.
"All of us here have a deep love for our Irish heritage and the culture that has shaped so many of our lives. It’s that same culture that is deeply intertwined with the fights and the victories of our brothers and sisters in labor.
"Out in Buffalo, in the district I represent, I’ve been out on the picket lines with CWA District 1 and all of our local unions fighting for a fair contract for our healthcare workers at Mercy Hospital. I’m sure you’ve heard about this by now - it’s become a national story.
"These workers did everything they could to avoid a strike, but at the end of the day, they were unwilling to sacrifice patient care and the safety they deserve. They have been called healthcare heroes time and again throughout the pandemic, but right now, the way they’re being treated is anything but heroic.
"I know all of us here in this room are with them in spirit on the frontlines - fighting for a fair wage and safer workplace standards. I want to take a moment to thank Terry O’Sullivan of LiUNA for partnering on this incredible event, and for sharing your wisdom and words with us tonight. And to Gary LaBarbera, President of Building and Trades Construction Trades Council of Greater New York. We are always grateful for the work you do, and we couldn’t be more thrilled to recognize your advocacy and your commitment to labor here tonight.
"We know achieving real change is incumbent upon having strong leaders at the helm, and this next honoree is all of that and more. Jim Devine hails from Troy New York, but he was born in Belfast Ireland. He came to America when he was 20 years old and started a job at New York Telephone Company in Manhattan.
"A few years later, he transferred upstate to the Capital Region and became a union steward. Within just four years, he was elected as president of CWA Local 1116. Throughout the course of his career, Jim has always kept Ireland at the forefront of his focus - challenging national leaders on their foreign policy statements, ensuring that Irish-American ties remained strong. Jim was a stalwart supporter of the MacBride Principles and of the Irish peace process. Here in New York, he teamed up with leadership of the TWU and the ILA to form the Irish American Labor Coalition, which eventually included representation from the Operating Engineers, the Teamsters, the Firefighters, the Sand Hogs, and many, many more.
"Jim was instrumental in dedicating a statue honoring labor organizer and Irish revolutionary James Connolly in Troy, who actually spent a brief period of his life in the city. Jim’s list of accomplishments are vast. What I do know is that we’re eternally grateful to Jim for dedicating his life not only to building relationships and a voice for the Irish-American community, but to being a strong voice for labor here in New York State, as well as across our great nation and in global communities."
