Congressman Cohen Honored by the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists

Press Release

Congressman Cohen Honored by the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists

his past Friday, Region Four of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists (CBTU), which represents most of Tennessee and Kentucky, presented their annual Political Community Service Award for outstanding political achievement to Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09). The award is given to individuals who have shown strong support for the goals and aspirations of CBTU members in the political arena. This is the first time that the award has been granted to a sitting U.S. Congressman.

"I've known the Congressman for many years, and his actions locally and nationally on domestic issues have affected his constituents very positively," said CBTU Founder and President William Lucy. Mr. Lucy, a native Memphian and one of the most revered and highest-ranking black labor leaders in the world, attended the presentation ceremony. "He is certainly a worthy recipient," he continued. "With the work that he's done in the (Tennessee) state Senate and the Congress, he's represented his constituents very effectively on issues like housing, transportation and health for a long time." Mr. Lucy also serves as the Secretary-Treasurer for the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), one of the largest labor unions in the United States, representing over 1.4 million employees. He has concurrently served as both President of the CBTU and Secretary-Treasurer of AFSCME since 1972.

Congressman Cohen greeted the news with surprise and enthusiasm, saying: "This is truly a great honor. I have tried my hardest to represent the interests of working men and women during my time in politics, and I am so grateful to the CBTU for recognizing my efforts. The CBTU has served Memphis and the region extremely well since they formed, and I'm so thankful for their continued friendship and support."

"It was a no-brainer for me," said Andrew Shelton, Regional Director for the CBTU and a member of the Paper, Allied-Industrial, Chemical and Energy Workers International Union (PACE), who emceed the presentation cereomony. "Based on Congressman Cohen's record in the state Senate and his continued support in Congress, he received a lot of nominations from CBTU members."

Dorothy Crook, President of the Memphis chapter of CBTU and Director of AFSCME Local #1733 in Memphis, called Congressman Cohen "just a wonderful person." "Since he was elected to Congress, he has hit the ground running" she said of Congressman Cohen. "He continues to grow and continues to build relationships within our community at the CBTU. He's done a great job of letting the people know that he's going to be the Congressman for everybody. He's true to his beliefs, and we certainly thought that the Congressman should be commended for his excellent work in politics and should win this award."

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