Labor leaders urge Cook County to adopt resolution honoring Kent Wong

Don Velar, secretary-treasurer of the Chicago Federation of Labor, and Alex Han, executive director of In These Times, urged the Cook County Board of Commissioners to back a forthcoming resolution honoring Kent Wong, a longtime labor organizer and former director of the UCLA Labor Center.

"He was a civil rights activist, a labor leader, and the founder of the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance," Don Velar said during public testimony, urging the board to adopt the resolution and calling Wong "a real champion for social justice, for diversity, and for labor rights." Alex Han said Wong—s work teaching cross-racial organizing tied the struggles of immigrant, Black, Latino and LGBTQ workers together and asked commissioners to support "Commissioner Morita's resolution" to honor Wong's life and work.

The remarks took place during the consent-agenda public comment period; the consent calendar that included multiple ceremonial resolutions was approved later in the meeting by voice vote (mover: Commissioner Lawrie; second: Commissioner Britton). The transcript does not record a separate roll call vote specifically for a numbered Wong resolution or show the resolution—s ordinance/resolution number.

Speakers noted the contemporary relevance of Wong—s work as labor and civil-rights coalitions face political attacks. Commentators asked the board to "make sure we have a seat at the table," crediting Wong with building multiracial labor alliances and mentoring organizers.

No formal legislative text or citation was read into the record during the public comment excerpt included in the transcript; commissioners' sponsorship for the resolution was referenced by speakers but a formal vote tied solely to a Kent Wong resolution is not recorded in the supplied transcript segment.

The board took no recorded, separate procedural action on the Kent Wong item in the excerpt beyond the later voice approval of the consent calendar that covered many items.