October 22, 2009 - Posted by Jenna Wandres
Wade Henderson, president and CEO of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, speaking at the NELP 40th Anniversary Gala.
Last night, the National Employment Law Project (NELP) celebrated 40 years of working to protect the employment rights of low-wage workers. NELP presented a moving tribute to Senator Edward M. Kennedy for his leadership in fighting for workplace equality and honored several workers' rights allies, including Wade Henderson, president and CEO of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights.
"Workers' rights have always been civil and human rights," Henderson said. "Sixty years ago, A. Philip Randolph, a labor leader and one of the founders of the Leadership Conference said, 'the two tickets to a better life are a voter registration card and a union card.' That lesson still holds true today."
NELP also honored the work of Jon Hiatt, AFL-CIO general counsel; Pablo Alvarado, executive director of the National Day Laborer Organizing Network; and the National Employment Lawyers Association and its executive director, Terisa Chaw.
Christine Owens, executive director of NELP, celebrated the passage of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act earlier this year and emphasized the importance of passing the Employee Free Choice Act, a bill that would restore workers' right to organize.
"As long as there are workers who need a voice and a place at the table, NELP will be there to fight for them," Owens said.
Categories: LCCR & LCCREF, Workers' Rights
