Bill recieved the Lifetime Achievement award at the AFSCME Council 65 Convention. Due to being on vacation (as retirees do), Bill received his Lifetime Achievement award in person at the December 4, 2017 Retiree meeting. Cheryl Jones, AFSCME Retiree Chapter President also repeated the presentation at the Mn AFL-CIO Retiree Council meeting on Dec 6, where Bill gave a brief history of Council 65 and spoke very emotionally about his mentor and founder of AFSCME Council 65, Al Church.
Later, Bill told Cheryl, "Council 65 really is in my blood and bones...so the pride goes both ways."
Here is the speech from the presentation at the Council 65 convention given by AFSCME Council 65 Executive Director Serena Vergin:
The Lifetime Achievement Award honors those individuals whose dedication and commitment leave a lasting impact on Council 65 and the labor movement as a whole.
That is certainly the legacy that this year’s recipient is known for.
Bill Moore has been a fixture in the MN Labor movement and AFSCME Council 65 for as long as memory serves us. Bill began as a staff rep for Council 65 in the late 70’s and 80’s, mentoring both members and staff on the art of grievance handling and negotiation skills at the many workshops he presented. Bill became the unofficial Council 65 documentarian, preserving much of our history. He was a proud member of Local 737 City of Red Wing for over 30 years, until he transferred over to be an active member of the Council 65 retiree chapter.
Bill was extremely active in AFSCME and AFL-CIO political action, and took his passion for labor to the MN AFL-CIO, serving as both their Communications Director and Chief of Staff, retiring in 2007 after 20 years of service. That hardly meant slowing down for Bill, who immediately joined the Council 65 and MN AFL-CIO retiree chapters. Being a member wasn’t taken lightly – it meant traveling from St Paul to Nashwauk for most meetings. And being the C65 Retiree Delegate to every Day on the Hill since 2008.
Bill’s belief in education and passing on the torch led him to be an Instructor in the Masters in Advocacy and Political Leadership program at UMD and Metro State. Leann Stoll and several former Council 65 staff reps count themselves as proud MAPL program graduates
He continues to use his leadership and teaching skills to benefit others, serving as the MN AFL-CIO Retiree Council President from 2012 to present (despite his efforts to step down last month), and traveling the state putting on workshops Protecting Social Security/Medicare.
Bill can still be found wherever there is a rally or a picket line. Spent many months in western Mn & North Dakota during Crystal Sugar lockout of 1300 Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco & Grain Millers (BCTGM) union members at 5 locations. Worked tirelessly for almost 2 years alongside those workers, coordinating rallies and financial/moral support from other unions. His longtime involvement in the Twin Cities Labor Chorus coming in handy!
Bill often refers to “standing on the shoulders of giants” when speaking of past union activists. I believe that many of us in Council 65 have benefitted from standing on Bill’s shoulders.
