Kootenai Democrats hold annual Democracy Dinner
The Kootenai County Democrats will hold their 13th annual North Idaho Democracy Dinner Saturday at the Best Western Coeur d'Alene Inn, 506 W. Appleway Ave., Coeur d'Alene.
This year's speaker will be longtime labor leader and activist Alan Link. Link was elected secretary-treasurer of the Washington State Labor Council in 1994. He has been a member of the United Steelworkers of America since 1961. Link has served in a number of positions in the labor movement over the past two decades. He presided over the Spokane County Central Labor Council as president and served as president of Steelworkers Local 329, representing workers at the Kaiser Aluminum plant in Spokane. He also served as chair of the Steelworkers Legislative and Education Committee for 15 years and was a vice president of the Washington State Labor Council's Executive Board from 1981 to 1994. Currently, he serves on the State Apprenticeship Council, and the University of Washington Department of Environmental & Health Advisory Board.
Link was born and raised in the Spokane area. His family has also had deep roots in the labor movement. His father, Roy, was longtime president of USWA Local 329, and as safety committee chair helped establish the safety standards for the light metals industry in the state. Link's mother, Mary, was a longtime COPE Director for the Spokane County Central Labor Council. She also helped organize and served as secretary-treasurer of the AFSCME Local at the Department of Labor & Industries in Spokane. Link's wife Diane was a staff representative with the United Steelworkers of America and was a USWA member for 13 years.
There will also be remarks from recently-elected Idaho State Representative Paulette Jordan who represents District 5A. Ms. Jordan is a strong human rights supporter and advocated in this past session for amending our Idaho Human Rights Law to end discrimination within our state.
There are still a few tickets available for $50/person. Call Jerry Shriner, 667-2949.