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and Photo By SHERRY HALBROOKPEF Vice President Joe Fox was honored in June by the Capital District Area Labor Federation at its Fourth Annual Gala in Albany.
Fox was honored before a standing-room-only crowd, including many PEF members, for his eight years of service as founding president of the CDALF. He stepped down from that post this spring and was given the title of “president emeritus.”
Fox was given the very challenging task of establishing the CDALF in 2000 when the concept of regional area labor federations was introduced for the first time by the AFL-CIO on a pilot basis in New York state. The innovation was not universally welcomed and was viewed by some as a threat to the local organizational structure based on central labor councils.
Fox was praised for his skill and inclusiveness in ensuring everyone’s voice and concerns were heard and respected in the effort to create a unified, more effective organizational structure for all of organized labor in the capital region. As a result, the CDALF has become a model for similar efforts throughout the U.S.
The CDALF now includes more than 100 union locals of 67 different national unions. It has also established the NYS Workforce Development Center to retrain workers for higher level jobs and provide educational opportunities for rank-and-file union members. Fox was the founding president of this organization, as well.
In addition to all of his work for PEF, the CDALF, the NYSWDC, and PEF’s two international affiliates, Fox was recognized for his six years of leadership in Public Service International, a 25-nation organization based in Switzerland.
Most of all, Fox was praised for his willingness to personally and directly support the struggles of working people, participating in pickets, strikes, and campaigns for endorsed political candidates.
The CDALF saluted Fox with the words: “Thank you for fighting for workers’ rights. Thank you for recognizing the importance of solidarity. Thank you for your courage, strength and hope.
