Our AFGE family suffered two incredible losses last week, as two of our most iconic former national officers died on Wednesday.

Augusta Y. Thomas served as AFGE National Vice President for Women and Fair Practices from 2009 until August of this year, following 42 years of service to AFGE at the local and regional levels. Ken Blaylock served as AFGE national president from 1976 to 1988, working to achieve passage of legislation ensuring collective bargaining rights for federal workers.

“Augusta Thomas was a tireless advocate for civil and human rights and an inspiration to everyone who knew her. Ken Blaylock was a visionary who laid the groundwork for building AFGE into the growing, diverse union we are today,” AFGE National President J. David Cox Sr. said. “They were two of the finest leaders in our federation, and their contributions to the labor movement and to building a better world for current and future generations cannot be underestimated.”