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Public Employee Press
Irish Heritage at DC 37 Members
and guests enjoyed lively music and dancing as well as a tasty meal
at DC 37s 15th annual Irish Heritage Celebration. The March 2 event
at DC 37 highlighted the contributions of Irish immigrants and Irish-Americans
to the U.S. labor movement and culture. Every year, we work harder
and harder to make this a successful celebration, said Irish Heritage Committee
Chair John Townsend, a DC 37 vice president and member of Dept. of Environmental
Protection Supervisory Employees Local 1322. People at the event enjoyed
a time-honored corned beef and cabbage meal and a program of traditional dances
and music. Members and guests sat at tables with green tablecloths and the hall
was decorated with white, green and orange balloons and cardboard shamrocks.
In
welcoming remarks, DC 37 Executive Director Lillian Roberts noted how Irish labor
activists and leaders played a crucial role in building up the labor movement
in New York City, where Transport Workers leader Mike Quill used to keep residents,
politicians and business owners on edge with strike threats as contract negotiations
neared a boiling point, typically toward New Years Day. DC 37
itself has benefited from key Irish staffers, including Associate Director Eddie
Maher in the 1960s and todays Research and Negotiations Director Dennis
Sullivan, Assistant Director Moira Dolan and Assistant to the Executive Director
Colleen Detroy, Roberts said. Roberts extended her thanks
to Committee Co-chair Bernadette OLeary Enzmann, a management analyst at
DC 37, for coordinating the celebration. The committee honored Enzmann for her
years of dedicated work ensuring that the events were a success. Father
Christopher Keenan, a Local 299 member and a Chaplain at the Fire Dept., gave
the invocation, offering an Irish prayer. The Knights of Columbus Pipe Band, OMalley
Irish Dance Academy and Jerry Piper Band performed.
Gregory N. Heires | |