Sen. Craig Hickman Awarded Maine AFL-CIO Edie Beaulieu Award
AUGUSTA – Sen. Craig Hickman, D-Winthrop, was awarded the Maine AFL-CIO’s Edie Beaulieu Award on Tuesday night, Oct 26. The Edie Beaulieu Award is given each year to a Legislator for their outstanding service to Maine workers. The award is named for first the female House chair of the Labor Committee.
“I am incredibly honored to be the recipient of the Edie Beaulieu Award. Rep. Beaulieu was a staunch advocate for workers, and I am humbled to get this honor in her name,” said Sen. Hickman “Maine workers have continued to show up for us in the most trying times. It is the least we can do to show up and fight for their best interests. It is my fundamental belief that in our efforts to make society one where all Maine people have social and economic opportunity, we must center the voices of working-class people to ensure that they are getting the best possible outcomes from every bill we pass.”
Sen. Hickman was chosen for the award for his commitment to working-class people and unions, his deep understanding of the intersections of race and class, and his pushing for everyone to move toward collective freedom. Sen. Hickman serves as the chair of the Labor and Housing Committee, where he spent the last legislative session facilitating thoughtful and productive debates that resulted in the best possible outcomes for Maine workers.
Sen. Hickman has a long history of fighting for Maine workers. This session, he supported bills that prioritized labor standards for affordable housing construction projects, fixed inequities in the state unemployment system, and strengthened safety training on publicly funded construction projects. Sen. Hickman also was instrumental in defeating “right to work” legislation, designed to weaken unions and drive down wages.
Founded in 1956, the Maine AFL-CIO is a state federation of more than 160 local labor unions, representing more than 40,000 Maine workers and retirees. The organization works to improve the lives and labor conditions of its members and all working people across the state.
