John Edwards to Address Labor College Grads

[Omaha Steve]

http://blog.aflcio.org/2008/06/20/john-edwards-to-address-labor-college-grads/

by James Parks, Jun 20, 2008

Every graduation is special, but this year’s commencement at the National Labor College (NLC) marks an important milestone. This is the school’s 10th annual commencement, and next weekend, the school will celebrate a decade of providing a college education for union members.

Some 67 graduates will receive bachelor’s degrees at the June 28 ceremonies on the NLC campus in Silver Spring, Md.



Former presidential candidate John Edwards will deliver the commencement address. Edwards, who grew up in a working class family, is a former U.S. senator and was the Democratic candidate for vice president in 2004. A strong supporter of workers’ rights and social justice, he now leads Half in Ten, an effort by several organizations to reduce poverty in the United States by 50 percent within 10 years.

AFL-CIO President John Sweeney, AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Richard Trumka, NLC President William Scheuerman and elected officials also will participate in the NLC graduation ceremonies.

Established as a training center by the AFL-CIO in 1969 to strengthen union member education and organizing skills, the NLC is now the nation’s only accredited higher education institution devoted exclusively to educating union leaders, members and activists. The NLC became a degree-granting college in 1997.