State Representative Matt Beck (D-South Portland, IBEW 1837) will be awarded the Edie Beaulieu Legislative Award at next week's COPE Convention in Auburn for supporting and being active in every aspect of labor's legislative work and then stepping up to be a union voice in the State Legislature.
In March, Rep. Beck won a special election for State Representative in House District 122, which comprises part of South Portland to succeed the late Lois Galway Reckitt, a longtime women’s rights activist, who held the seat for three and half terms before passing away in October, 2023. Reckitt and Beck were friends and she encouraged him to run for her seat. After some consideration, Beck agreed to run, stating that he would “honor [Reckitt’s] legacy of compassionate laws that protect Mainers, ensure equal rights to all people, and work to solve the problems facing us today.”
Beck has long history in the labor movement including service as an IBEW 1837 steward and chief steward at WGME-TV, where he led a bargaining unit of 50 people and fought hard against a union-busting corporation to protect collective bargaining rights. He has been active with the Maine AFL-CIO and Southern Maine Labor Council for many years.
Although Brother Beck has only served as a state legislator since March, he has a 100 percent pro-labor voting record and, with his deep commitment to the labor movement, we know we will have an ally for years to come in the House.
Matt Beck’s example shows what working people can accomplish when we work together. His campaign was truly a team effort and union members from across the state volunteered to knock on doors to help him get him elected. Beck also took our Worker Candidate Training that trains union members how to run campaigns for local office. Beck said he doesn’t have a “special or unique skillset,” but his experiences lobbing legislators at our annual Labor Lobby Day gave him tools he needed to be an effective lawmaker.
“If I can do it, you can do it! We need more working class voices in the Legislature,” he told fellow union members at the 2024 Maine AFL-CIO Labor Lobby Day in Augusta.
The award’s namesake is the late Edie Beaulieu, who worked as a cleaner at Gannett Publishing in Portland and served as the House Chair of the Labor Committee in the Maine Legislature. Like Brother Beck, Beaulieu was a strong voice for working people and an advocate for policies that strengthen economic security and workers’ rights.