AFL-CIO’s Liz Shuler was recognized at the 50th anniversary celebration of the Dubin Labor Education Center
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The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth’s Arnold M. Dubin Labor Education Center proudly celebrated its 50th anniversary with a lively gathering of more than 220 students, faculty, alumni, and community members in New Bedford. The event honored the Center’s long-standing mission to empower workers and advance social and economic justice across southeastern Massachusetts. The Center proudly works with undergraduates to engage with workplace and social justice issues in the community through internships and the Center’s participation in educational opportunities.
The evening’s highlight was the presentation of the Dubin Award to AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler, the first woman to lead the 15-million-member labor federation. Shuler, who has dedicated her career to amplifying workers’ voices and championing equity in the workplace, was recognized for her visionary leadership in steering the modern labor movement into a new era of innovation and inclusion.
“Liz Shuler represents the future of labor—strong, progressive, and inclusive,” said Kimberly Wilson, director of the Center. “Her leadership continues the fight for fair wages, safe workplaces, and dignity for all workers—values that have guided our Center for five decades.”
The event also paid tribute to Dan Georgianna, a retired UMass Dartmouth economics professor and longtime labor advocate. Georgianna was honored for his commitment to labor history, research, and education. A coauthor of the book The Strike of ’28, Georgianna’s work chronicles the 1928 textile workers’ strike in New Bedford—a defining moment in local labor history. The book has served as the basis for a play of that title, and vignettes were performed at the event.