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Barbara Easterling Honored for Charitable Work |
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Barbara Easterling, who in 1995 became the first female AFL-CIO officer when she was elected secretary-treasurer, has spent her life helping others. This week, she received two major accolades in recognition of her years of charitable work.
Last night, the United Way honored her with the Joseph Beirne Award for Community Service. Easterling, secretary-treasurer of the Communications Workers of America (CWA), stepped down from the United Way board last night, after serving on it for the past decade.
Earlier this week, the Faith & Politics Institute honored Easterling at its annual St. Joseph’s Day breakfast, calling her “a model of working people’s charitable commitment to human dignity in our communities and in the world.” The Faith & Politics Institute is a nonpartisan, interfaith organization to help public officials stay in touch with their deeper calling to public service. St. Joseph is the patron saint of the worker, and the institute’s annual breakfast was founded to raise awareness of the spiritual and moral issues that affect economic life in America.
CWA President Larry Cohen praised Easterling, who is retiring next month after 16 years as the union’s secretary-treasurer:
Barbara is probably the best link to community organizations in our labor movement. Both at the Faith and Politics St. Joseph’s breakfast and at the United Way dinner, it was stunning to hear one leader after another describe their personal relationship with Barbara and her support and work on behalf of a long list of community organizations. The benefits of Barbara’s work and relationships will continue far into the future past her retirement.
Brian Gallagher, president and CEO of United Way, calls Easterling “ a gracious and inspiring leader.”
She has been a champion of United Way, the labor movement and our longstanding partnership—always ensuring the interests of our nation’s communities were considered first and foremost. She is a true advocate and both our movements will miss her leadership.
At the Faith & Politics ceremony, Pamela Barnes, president of the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatrics AIDS Foundation, said of Easterling:
Throughout her entire career, Barbara has proven how organized labor can do so much for the community through charitable giving and good works. From the time she first learned about the issue of pediatric AIDS, she made it a priority to get involved and she has made a difference. With more than 1,100 babies born with the virus every day, CWA’s commitment has been crucial to working toward our goal of an HIV-free generation.
Easterling has been a leader in the effort to raise money for the foundation, which has been officially designated as CWA’s “charity of choice.” Over the past 18 years, CWA members, led by Easterling, have donated more than $6.5 million to the foundation.
After more than 50 years in the union movement, Easterling announced plans to retire this year. Earlier this week, she also was honored by the other secretary-treasurers of AFL-CIO affiliates at their annual meeting.
Easterling began her union career in Akron, Ohio, as a member of CWA Local 4302. Ohio Gov. John Gilligan appointed her to head the state Labor Division in 1970, where she drafted strong laws to protect women on the job and strengthen the enforcement of child labor laws. She left state government in 1973 to work full-time for CWA. She was elected CWA secretary-treasurer in 1992. In 1995, she took a leave of absence to serve as secretary-treasurer of the AFL-CIO, becoming the first woman to hold that position.
Well known for her outreach to women in the United States and worldwide, Easterling serves as president of the World Women’s Committee for Union Network International, which has 17 million members globally.
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