Track the Plaque

Thanks to a bill sponsored by State Representative Steven Walsh of Lynn, the Massachusetts AFL-CIO, in conjunction with the Massachusetts State Art Commission, has received permission to commission this bronze plaque and place it in the State House. The bill was passed in the House and Senate and approved by the Governor on January 1, 2003. To read a description of the bill please click here.

In February of 2007 three artists were interviewed and in March 2007, Meredith Bergmann was selected to begin designing the plaque. The Massachusetts AFL-CIO and other review committee members have had subsequent meetings with Meredith to offer ideas about how the plaque might best honor Edward Cohen and the Labor Movement. Click here to learn more about Meredith.

There will be a ceremony in the State House on December 5, 2007 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Edward Cohen’s death, and the official plaque is set to be installed in September of 2009.  Members of Edward Cohen’s family will be present at the unveiling to show their support and share their own memories of Edward Cohen.

December 5, 2007 is the 100th anniversary of the tragic shooting of Edward Cohen which occurred in the Governor’s waiting room. On this day the Massachusetts AFL-CIO will be holding a ceremony in the State House's Nurses Hall to commemorate the late AFL President. The ceremony will include an unveiling of the final portrait of this plaque, which will be installed in the State House in the Fall of 2009. The finished plaque will be placed down the hall from where the esteemed AFL President was shot while waiting to meet with Governor Guild.  It will be placed between the office of the Speaker of the Massachusetts House of Representatives and the current Governor’s Office. The plaque will forever commemorate Edward Cohen’s legacy and the vital contributions that the Labor Movement have made to this Comonwealth.

UPDATE: The Edward Cohen Plaque entitled "Labor in Massachusetts" has finally been installed at the State House. This special event took place on September 21, 2009. Click here to read the article on the event and for more information on Edward Cohen.

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