Holthouser: 'The greatest honor I have received in my professional career'

By BERRY CRAIG

AFT Local 9005

Gene Holthouser "has always supported the efforts of the A. Philip Randolph Institute," said Cylister Williams, Louisville APRI president. 

The chapter recognized the veteran Louisville trade unionist's efforts with its 2023 Labor Award.

"I feel like it is the greatest honor I have received in my professional career," said Holthouser, IBEW Local 369 political director and business representative. "I think so much of the local chapter for all the good work it does."

He received the award at Saturday night's annual chapter banquet. "I couldn't find the words when I thanked everybody," said the honoree and chapter member. "But to have my name spoken in the same sentence with A. Philip Randolph is humbling and an honor I will will treasure the rest of my life."

The APRI. which is named for labor leader A. Philip Randolph, the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, Coalition of Black Trade Unionists, Coalition of Labor Union Women, Labor Council for Latin American Advancement and Pride At Work are AFL-CIO constituency groups that help form a bridge between unions and "diverse communities, creating and strengthening partnerships to enhance the standard of living for all workers and their families," according to the APRI website. "The groups also promote the full participation of women and minorities in the union movement and ensure unions hear and respond to the concerns of the communities they represent."

"A. Philip Randolph brought the gospel of trade unionism to millions of African American households," explains an AFL-CIO website. "Randolph led a 10-year drive to organize the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters (BSCP) and served as the organization's first president. Randolph directed the March on Washington movement to end employment discrimination in the defense industry and a national civil disobedience campaign to ban segregation in the armed forces. The nonviolent protest and mass action effort inspired the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s."

Added Williams: "Gene comes in and volunteers and works. He helps drive people to the polls and everything else. We try to honor people who work and volunteer and are dedicated to the cause." 

Kentucky State AFL-CIO President Bill Londrigan said Holthouser "is a dedicated trade unionist who serves his local union and is active in the [Greater Louisville Central Labor Council]. He's always on our political programs that we run in Louisville and across the state.

"Gene is always there when we need him. He is a good friend and a great trade unionist."

Tim Morris, GLCLC executive director, agrees. "Gene is an excellent union member; he's a union leader. He always helps with labor-to-labor campaigns that we do each election cycle to support pro-worker candidates, and he's dedicated to ensuring that we have the space that we need and the volunteers that we need to go out and help candidates that support the working families of Kentucky.