By BILL LONDRIGAN
Kentucky State AFL-CIO president
The Kentucky State AFL-CIO and the American Federation of Government Employees International Union (AFGE) have designated October 14th of each year “Augusta Y. Thomas Day.”
Each year we share the memory and life’s work of Sister Augusta Y. Thomas who served on the Kentucky State AFL-CIO Executive Board for over twenty years and retired from AFGE as the International Vice President for Women and Fair Employment Practices. As anyone who met Augusta knows, she was an inspiration and example for all of us to follow as a great trade unionist and civil rights icon.
So, tomorrow Friday, October 14th remember one of our own who made enormous contributions to the labor and civil rights movements. Recently, a street in her beloved hometown of Louisville was named in her honor and the link below to a wonderful article written by Berry Craig about “Miss Augusta.”
How Augusta Thomas tirelessly championed for workers’ and civil rights (courier-journal.com)
I would also like to call attention to the passing of our strongest Republican ally in the Kentucky State Senate – Senator C.B. Embry. C.B. was a friend to all in organized labor – from construction workers, industrial workers, service workers, educators – no matter what union or occupation we could ALWAYS count on our friend Senator C.B. Embry to support us and vote for workers and organized labor. C.B. was a personal friend and someone who always made members of organized labor welcome in his office and always asked how he could help us. We will certainly will miss C.B. and please read the article linked below about C.B. He was a unique and caring person who stood up to his own party to support organized labor!
In Solidarity, Bill.
https://ky.aflcio.org/news/londrigan-labor-will-miss-110-percent-man