Local OPSEU Member Wins Charles Brooks Award for Efforts to Help Migrant Workers

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A local OPSEU leader and charity volunteer won the annual Charles E. Brooks Labor Community Service Award for her efforts to help migrant workers.

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Elizabeth Ha, First Vice President of OPSEU Local 154, will receive the award next week during the 44th Virtual Job Appreciation Night.

“It wasn’t just me who did this work,” Ha said. “It took a lot of people to worry during a pandemic. That’s why we were able to do this job. I got a lot of help from volunteers in Windsor-Essex. The people here just help me load the boxes of food. So I am honored to receive the award. But this award is more for the community ”.

The United Way and the Windsor & District Labor Council will host the event on November 24 from 6 to 7 pm The evening will also include a keynote address by Chris Ramsaroop, co-founder of the activist group Justicia for Migrant Workers.

The award, created by the United Way and the labor council, is presented annually to a union member in recognition of outstanding volunteer community service. It honors the memory of Charlie Brooks, the first president of United Auto Workers Local 444, who was shot to death by a disgruntled and fired Chrysler worker in 1977.

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“Charles Brooks was dedicated to community service and activism and we celebrate his legacy annually by recognizing local Labor leaders,” said Labor Council Chairman Mario Spagnuolo. “Elizabeth Ha is charting a path for a new generation of activists in the Labor movement.”

Ha’s long list of roles includes vice president for equity of the Ontario Labor Federation, president of the OPSEU Provincial Human Rights Committee and vice president of the OPSEU Coalition of Racialized Workers.

She is an executive member of the Windsor and District Labor Council and is a member of the advisory council for Our Times labor magazine. As a member of Justice for Migrant Workers, Ha collects and delivers food, clothing, and personal care items for migrant workers. It also organizes community dinners, workshops and demonstrations defending their rights.

“Elizabeth Ha stands up for the voiceless and has been supporting racialized workers across the province for years,” said Lorraine Goddard, executive director of the United Way. “Ha’s activism, especially his compassion and conviction in supporting local migrant workers, is making a mark in advancing social justice in Windsor-Essex County, and we wish him our sincerest congratulations on his accomplishments.”

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Reference-windsorstar.com

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