Festive crowd greets annual Philadelphia PW awards banquet

PHILADELPHIA – A crowd of 90 supporters turned out for the annual People’s Weekly World banquet here to honor United Steelworkers Local 404 as well as longtime People’s  World supporter Lou Incognito. The banquet honored Local 404 for its role in building the labor movement locally and for the union’s role nationally in organizing the “Blue Green Alliance”. Their award was accepted by local president Lindsay Patterson, who in turn presented a plaque to retiring subdistrict director Donald Harper. Also in attendance were USW District 10 director John De Fazio and Assistant Director John Zanetti, who both travelled from Pittsburgh for the event.

Honoree Lou Incognito, a supporter and distributor of, and writer for the paper for many years, was accompanied by a large contingent of his family including his (grown up) children as well as grandchildren. He gave an engaging account of his intellectual journey which led him eventually to the realization that the social justice principles he learned in Catholic school could best be realized in progressive working-class political activity.

James Bradford closed the program with a demonstration of the new People’s World website and the extensive possibilities it presents for political and social justice activists. Those in attendance appeared to consider this banquet a fitting and appropriate kick off for the holiday season.