Each year, the Women’s and Fair Practices Departments award the Augusta Y. Thomas Civil Rights Award to four dedicated trade unionists who exemplify what it means to be a true champion for civil, human, women, and workers’ rights.
Activists are recognized in four areas of service:
Education and Training: This award recognizes an individual who has demonstrated a commitment to educating and training members in their local, council, and/or districts by providing EEO trainings and assistance, promoting diversity and inclusion efforts in their workplaces, and more.
Member Mobilization: This award recognizes an individual who has demonstrated a commitment to mobilizing and organizing AFGE members around civil, human, and workers’ rights in their local, council, and/or district. This award recognizes an individual who has helped advance civil and human rights, strengthened the workers’ rights agenda, worked with AFL-CIO constituency groups and other allied organizations, and more.
Legislative and Political Action: This award recognizes an individual who has demonstrated a commitment to improving working conditions through political action, especially around employment discrimination. This award recognizes an individual who has worked with state or local officials to address issues facing employees in the workplace and in their communities.
Representation Through Litigation: This award recognizes an individual who has demonstrated a commitment to combatting discrimination in the workplace through litigation. This award recognizes an individual who has advised, assisted and represented members with their EEO cases before the EEOC, MSPB and/or in arbitrations; monitored trends in EEO laws and regulations, worked with their agency, state or local officials to address EEO issues in the workplace, and more.
We encourage AFGE locals, councils, districts, and general members to nominate individuals who are active in their union and who exemplify NVP Emeritus Augusta Y. Thomas’s legacy of fighting for a more just workplace, union, and world. Click here to learn more about Sister Augusta.
Nominations must be submitted by January 27, 2023 at 5 PM ET. All winners will be announced and awarded during the Civil Rights Luncheon at the 2023 Legislative Conference.
Questions? Contact Women’s and Fair Practices Department’s Program Coordinator Lenora Robinson at [email protected].