WJBC’s 2024 Laborer of the Year: Jean-Marie Taylor

Posted on August 29, 2024
The WJBC 2024 Laborer of the Year Jean-Marie Taylor. (WJBC file photo)

WJBC and the Midwest Laborers are excited to announced Jean-Marie Taylor as our 2024 Laborer of the Year!

Taylor moved to Normal in 1991 and began working at Heartland Community College in 1993. She is currently a member of the Heartland Adjunct Faculty Association (HAFA) and has worked over the past year to educate the community about inequities surrounding proposed changes to the dual credit quality act.

As a direct impact of that work over the past year, the American Federation of Teachers (AFL-CIO) passed a resolution to strengthen dual credit programming across the country.

2024 Laborer of the Year Jean-Marie Taylor spoke with WJBC’s Neil Doyle

Jean-Marie Taylor will also be honored by leading the Bloomington Labor Day Parade on Monday, Sept. 2. The parade steps off at 10 a.m. at the corner of Front and Center Streets in downtown Bloomington and wrap up at Miller Park.

Blogs

Labor Day – Expanding voting rights for all

By Mike Matejka Because of COVID, there is no Labor Day Parade this year.  It’s always a great event for our everyday workers to march proudly down the street and enjoys the festive crowd. If there had been a parade, this year’s Labor Day theme was to be “150 years of struggle: your right to vote.” …

Is federal mobilization the answer?

By Mike Matejka As President Donald Trump threatens to send federal marshals into Chicago, over the objections of Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, recall another Illinois Governor who protested the incursion of armed federal personnel into the city.   Those federal troops, rather than calming, escalated the situation, leading to deaths and violence. Illinois poet Vachel Lindsay…

In these troubled times, to my fellow white Americans

By Mike Matejka Our nation is at a unique watershed in human relations. African-Americans have been killed too many times in the past before George Floyd, but the response to this man’s death is international and all-encompassing. I was a grade-schooler during the Civil Rights 1960s. I watched Birmingham demonstrators hosed and the Selma – Montgomery…

Workers’ Memorial Day – Remember those whose job took their life

Looking around our community, when we say employer, most will respond to State Farm, Country, or Illinois State University.   We too often forget those who are building our roads, serving our food, or our public employees. COVID-19 has made us more aware of the risk.  Going to work every day for some people means…