Since 1974, the PNLHA has presented a Labor History Person of the Year Award at its annual spring conference, recognizing a person or persons who have made a significant contribution to labor history. Each year, the conference planning committee and sponsors in whichever province or state the conference is being held have the additional duty of naming that person, persons, or group. In 2015 the name of the Labor History Person of the Year Award was renamed to the Ross Rieder Labor History Person of the Year Award to honor Rieder’s 47 years of service to PNLHA and his 37 years as its president.

At the 2001 Conference, the PNLHA started a new “tradition” by instituting a Making Labor History Award. This award honors an individual or group whose contribution to the labor movement in the past year is noteworthy.

Every year PNLHA, through our endowment at the University of Washington, Harry Bridges Center for Labor Studies, gives awards for the best undergraduate labor history papers or projects. The awards are $500, a year’s membership in PNLHA, and free registration to the following year’s conference.

The 2021 student award winners are:

• Liam Collins – Point Defiance Podcast
• Amrine White – Unstable Foundations: Poor Whites & the Economic Fight for Emancipation
• Selma El-Badawi – The Sweet Fruit of Labor: An Examination of Black Labor Unions in South Africa
• Kelly Maldonado – A Comparative Essay on Slavery and Penal Labor

In 2022 due to an abbreviated conference there was no awards banquet, and no awards were presented.

In 2020 due to concerns for the safety of our members during the Covid 19 pandemic we did not hold an annual conference, and no awards were presented.

For meritorious service to the working people of Oregon

For meritorious service in the advancement of democracy in rural Oregon

The name of the Labor History Person of the Year Award was renamed this year to the Ross Rieder Labor History Person of the Year Award to honor Rieder’s 47 years of service to PNLHA and his 37 years as its president.

Past President of the PNLHA

Secretary-Treasurer of the Washington State Labor Council; President of the WSLC for their initiation and support of MayWorks in the state of Washington

With Jobs for Justice; Oregon AFL-CIO

Author

For Export Grain Terminals

Past Secretary-Treasurer of B.C. Federation of Labour

Past President of IWA; Labor Lawyer

Journalist and unionist

Retired IBEW 48 business manager

For 30 year of E&R

PNLHA trustee

Union activist and civil rights campaigner

For Walmart campaign

CWA District VP, Past president of Oregon AFL-CIO

For home care workers organizing

At Purdy’s Chocolates

At the 2001 Conference, the PNLHA started a new “tradition” by instituting a Making Labor History Award. This award honors an individual or group whose contribution to the labor movement in the past year is noteworthy.

Long-time Oregon labor and political activist

Who organized Powell’s Bookstore in Portland in 1999

Retired Secretary Treasurer of the Pierce County Central Labor Council

A group of Canadian workers who fought for democracy in the Spanish Civil War

On to Ottawa trekkers