2017 Labor Leaders on Labor Award

Mark Cousens
AFT Nichigan General Council

Cousens is a union-side labor lawyer with a focus on public sector organizations and educational unions.  He has worked with numerous affiliations of the American Federation of School Administrators as well as the Amalgamated Trandit Union. Cousens is a fellow of the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers. He holds a Ph.B, J.D, and B.A. in History, Wayne State University

Sam McKnight
General Counsel to the Utility Workers Union of America

McKnight has been recognized nationally for his expertise in providing labor organizations with advice and consultation during difficult contract negotiations. He directed several high profile, successful, contract campaigns for labor organizations, including those at the New York Daily News, the Detroit News and Free Press, Toledo Blade, FOX-TV, WDIV- TV and the Detroit Area Beer Distributors. He has also been involved in large scale organizing campaigns, including the American Water nationwide contract campaign involving nine international unions. McKnight was General Counsel to the Utility Workers Union of America (National Union).

Bruce Miller
General Counsel for the Metro AFL-CIO

Miller has stood with the labor and civil rights movements as an activist, advisor and attorney for decades. He was successful in establishing the right of retired workers to draw workers compensation benefits. He has been involved in litigation throughout the country on behalf of unions and worker rights. He has been honored by either serving or having served as General Counsel of the Metro AFL-CIO, the Michigan AFL-CIO, Labor's Hall of Fame, The A. Phillip Randolph Institute, the Sam Fishman Memorial Scholarship Fund and sat on the Lawyers Advisory Panel to the AFL-CIO.