For her unwavering support of public service workers and her exceptional record of investing in the services we deliver to our communities, Illinois Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky was awarded AFSCME’s Spirit of Public Service Award on Thursday.
In presenting the award during the 47th International Convention, Council 31 Executive Director and AFSCME International Vice President Roberta Lynch called Schakowsky “a fierce and unrelenting warrior for working people.”
“For decades … she has been a champion for the issues that matter most to our members: protecting good jobs, defending workers’ rights, strengthening public services, fighting to keep Social Security and Medicare strong. She is the best champion that retirees have in the U.S. Congress and she has been working to make sure every community has the resources it needs to thrive,” Lynch said.
Schakowsky has represented Illinois’ 9th District in the U.S. House since 1998, where she has built an impressive pro-labor legacy of victories for union rights, higher wages, safer working conditions, retirement security and paid leave. She will retire at the end of her current term.
“I am so proud. I have loved you. I have worked with you as long as I have been in Congress,” Schakowsky said in accepting the award. “I try my best to be aligned with your agenda because it’s my agenda. It’s the good agenda. It’s the people’s agenda.”
AFSCME created the Spirit of Public Service Award in 2012 to honor then-U.S. Rep. Gabrielle “Gabby” Giffords of Arizona. Schakowsky is the second recipient. The award honors those who have not only dedicated their own lives to service but also inspired others to do the same.
In addition to her stellar record of fighting for policies that make life more affordable for workers, Schakowsky is a proud union member and belongs to the Congressional Labor and Working Families Caucus. She has championed legislation to ensure that the right to organize is expanded and protected.
“You are such a fantastic organization, paving the way for everyday people who need it so badly,” Schakowsky told thousands of AFSCME members attending the Convention in Chicago. “When we fight, we win. We’re going to keep winning.”
