New York, NY – To celebrate the anniversary of Women’s Equality Day 2022 and the two-year anniversary of the unveiling of the Women’s Rights Pioneers Monument in Central Park, the Monumental Women organization presented Moving History Forward awards to AFL-CIO President Elizabeth Shuler and the IATSE Local One Sisters Committee, among others. 

Liz Shuler is a visionary leader, longtime trade unionist, and is the first woman elected president of the AFL-CIO in the history of that labor federation. Stating she couldn’t think of a better place to accept the Moving History Forward award than in front of the Women’s Rights Pioneers Monument “dedicated to three courageous women who were never afraid to fight for change because they understood the importance of giving everyone the chance to speak truth to power,” AFL-CIO President Elizabeth Shuler noted, “the suffrage and the labor movements have an incredible shared history.” 

The IATSE Local One Sisters Committee works tirelessly in support of the Women’s Rights Pioneers Monument and continue to encourage members of all Locals of the IATSE to envision bringing women into public spaces. On behalf of awardee Local One Sisters Committee, co-chair Eileen Macdonald acknowledged the multiple levels of her union IATSE’s support for Monumental Women and noted how Monumental Women’s Moving History Forward Award brings the stagehands “out of the dark, from behind the scenes…into the spotlight.” IATSE Local One represents Manhattan stagehands, and was the first local union of the IATSE over 129 years ago. 

Since breaking the bronze ceiling in 2020 by unveiling the statue that depicts pioneering women’s rights advocates Sojourner Truth, Susan B. Anthony, and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Monumental Women continues its mission of increasing awareness and appreciation of Women’s History nationwide and honoring the fearless women who played a vital part in history, until now.