[March 23, 2015]

The American Friends of the Yitzhak Rabin Center Honor AFL-CIO President Richard L. Trumka with the 2015 Yitzhak Rabin Leadership and Public Service Award

The American Friends of the Yitzhak Rabin Center (AFYRC) will honor Richard L. Trumka, AFL-CIO President, with the 2015 Yitzhak Rabin Leadership and Public Service Award. The award will be presented to Trumka at a gala dinner taking place at The Capital Hilton in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, March 24, 2015. In addition to recognizing Trumka, the AFYRC will also present Roger Smith (News - Alert), CEO, American Income and National Income Life Insurance, with the Yitzhak Rabin Legacy Award. AFYRC is a non-profit organization supporting activities that promote the legacy of the late Prime Minister, Defense Minister and Nobel (News - Alert) Peace Prize winner, Yitzhak Rabin.

"Much like Yitzhak Rabin, I have dedicated my life to ensuring that working men and women can enjoy the fruits of their labor, including fair wages and benefits, respect, the rights to organize and bargain collectively, and a safe and healthy workplace," said Richard L. Trumka, AFL-CIO President. "I am deeply grateful to receive the 2015 Yitzhak Rabin Leadership and Public Service Award. It is remarkable that Rabin's legacy continues to provide inspiration and guidance nearly twenty years after his assassination."

The gala will be emceed by Stuart Davidson, chair of the AFYRC; Cecil Roberts, president of the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) and vice president of the AFL-CIO, will present the Leadership and Public Service award to Trumka while Terry O'Sullivan, president of the Laborers' International Union of North America (LIUNA), will preent the Yitzhak Rabin Legacy Award to Smith.

"The late Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin was able to overcome many challenges and obstacles throughout his life due to his unbreakable perseverance, and I am humbled to accept the Yitzhak Rabin Legacy Award in his name," said Roger Smith, CEO, American Income and National Income Life Insurance. "During my recent travels to Israel, I visited the Yitzhak Rabin Center and was truly inspired by Rabin's legacy, which pulsates throughout the Center. Rabin stood for the same values that I stand for today - building strong communities and creating equality, and justice for working families. I continuously look to his legacy for encouragement."

Rabin's son, Yuval Rabin, will provide remarks on how Rabin's legacy 20 years after his assassination continues to inspire the next generation of Israelis - many of whom were either not born or too young to remember his father. Special guest Stav Shaffir will speak about recent elections in Israel. She ranked fifth on the Labor-Hatnuah primary list and is the youngest member of Knesset.

"Richard L. Trumka started as a coal miner and now serves as president of the AFL-CIO, while Roger Smith struggled with alienation in his youth and now serves as CEO of American Income and National Income Life Insurance - both mirror my father and his tenacious spirit in more ways than one," said Yuval Rabin. "With insurmountable dedication to public service, both have been instrumental in promoting fairness and generating equality for the millions of working men and women across the country. Now more than ever before, it is important for us to level the playing field and restore job growth so that every man and woman has the chance to achieve peace and prosperity. It's the foundation that America was built upon and we must keep that 'can do' spirit alive and let it continue to thrive."

Trumka will be recognized for his lifelong efforts to raise wages and protect and fight for the dignity of American workers, while Smith will be honored for his legacy in building strong communities, and protecting working families.

Trumka and Smith join a prominent list of past AFYRC honorees, who exemplify Rabin's core beliefs in job dignity, fair pay and adequate working conditions. Past award recipients include: James P. Hoffa, General President of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters; Cecil E. Roberts, President of the United Mine Workers of America; Terry O'Sullivan, President of the Laborers' International Union of North America; Ed McElroy, past President of the American Federation of Teachers; Morton Bahr, past President, and Barbara J. Easterling, past Secretary-Treasurer of the Communications Workers of America; and J. David Cox (News - Alert), then Secretary-Treasurer, now President of the American Federation of Government Employees; Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick; Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman; and Joseph T. Hansen, past International President of the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW).

For information about the gala dinner, please call 347-797-5888 or email [email protected]. For information on The American Friends of the Yitzhak Rabin Center, please visit www.friendsofrabin.org or follow us on Facebook (News - Alert) (facebook.com/AmericanFriendsofRabin) and Twitter (@FriendsofRabin). The AFYRC is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that supports the mission of the Yitzhak Rabin Center in Tel Aviv.

About The Yitzhak Rabin Center

The Yitzhak Rabin Center is the official memorial dedicated to teaching the legacy of the late Israeli Prime Minister, Yitzhak Rabin, who devoted his life to public service, equal opportunity, peace, leadership, social justice and educational opportunity for all Israelis. Modeled after an American Presidential library, The Yitzhak Rabin Center contains archives, an educational department, event and public meeting space, and the Israeli Museum, a state-of-the-art facility that tells the compelling story of the state of Israel and Rabin's life. The Center's educational programming reinforces democratic values, promotes tolerance and understanding among diverse groups in Israeli society, and teaches conflict resolution with the goal of helping form future leaders of Israel.

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