UFCW Canada's National President honoured as Person of the Year

National President Wayne Hanley accepting the award from Don Cash, President of the UFCW Minority Coalition.

UFCW Canada National President Wayne Hanley was recently honoured as ‘Person of the Year’ by the UFCW Minority Coalition in Washington D.C., as the recipient of the UFCW Charlie Hayes Award. The award is presented annually by the UFCW Minority Coalition for lifetime achievement as an advocate for equal rights and social and economic justice.

More than 350 people from across the United States and Canada, including staff and members of UFCW Canada Locals 1000A, 500, 175, 832, the Quebec Provincial Council, and National Office, bore witness to the occasion on November 12, 2011.

This prestigious award was bestowed on Brother Hanley because of his staunch commitment to equity, social justice and the progressive growth of UFCW Canada. For many years, Brother Hanley has strongly supported human and labour rights that have paved the way to building diverse coalitions.

“I am deeply honoured and humbled with this recognition,” says the National President. “The fervent fight for equity, social justice, human rights, and labour rights has always preceded our union’s efforts to building a strong and progressive organization.”

During the annual ball, the Minority Coalition was able to raise money for “Faces of Our Children,” a project that provides funding for sickle cell anaemia research.

"Throughout the years, the Minority Coalition has been at the forefront of creating strong relationships with diverse groups of working people  and has been committed to utilizing those relationships to fight for worker rights and human dignity," says Naveen Mehta, UFCW Canada's Director of Human Rights.

"This mandate fits well with Wayne's collaborative approach to building both social and economic justice among diverse groups of working families on both sides of the border. It is appropriate that he has been honoured with this prestigious award given his commitment to a more inclusive and diverse union and labour movement. "

UFCW Canada is one of the Minority Coalition partners, along with the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists (CBTU), UFCW International, National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People, Southern Christian Leadership Conference, United Latinos, Women’s Network, and Faces of our Children.