Two Teamsters have recently been honored by different organizations for changing the labor movement for the better.

Grover Marion, a longtime Local 175 Teamster activist, was recently named as one of two people inducted into the Labor Hall of Honor by the West Virginia Labor History Association.

For his 30 years of service to the labor movement, Joint Council 25 Vice President Terrence J. Hancock was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Peggy Browning Fund last week.

“It’s quite an honor,” Marion said of his impending induction. “I’ve worked with a lot of good people over the years. It just goes to show that if you take care of the working man, he’ll take care of you.”

Marion, a native of Summers County, West Virginia, began his Teamster career driving trucks for Kroger. Gene Carter, past President of Local 175 and past Hall of Honor inductee, recruited Marion as a business agent for the local in 1968. In 1974, Marion became Secretary-Treasurer of the local, and he served in that capacity until being elected Local 175 President in 1986.

Marion also held positions with Joint Council 84 and served on the West Virginia Labor Management Council. Marion retired from the Teamsters Union in 1991, but the work he did as a Teamster continues to resonate.

“He was my business agent when I was a rank and filer and he hired me as a business agent. I learned a lot from him and am appreciative for all he has done,” said Ken Hall, International Vice President and current President of Local 175. “Grover Marion dedicated most of his adult life to serving the membership of Local 175. We’re very proud of him and all he has accomplished.”

Marion’s induction will take place on December 5 at Local 175’s headquarters in South Charleston. He’s being honored alongside West Virginia native Davitt McAteer, who began his career as a safety advocate working with Ralph Nader to pass the 1969 Coal Mine Health and Safety Act. After leading health and safety programs for the United Mine Workers of America, he was appointed by President Carter as assistant secretary for Mine Safety and Health at the U.S. Department of Labor.

Hancock Honored

More than 200 colleagues, friends and labor supporters assembled to recognize Hancock, who was honored alongside UFCW Local 881 President Ronald E. Powell.

In addition to sitting on the Joint Council 25 Executive Board, Hancock represents thousands of workers as the Joint Council’s Construction Coordinator, serves as the Trustee of Local 714 and has been the president of Local 731 since 2005.

“I am humbled by this honor and accept it as both a symbol of the achievements of the labor movement and a reminder of the work that lies ahead in the protection of American workers,” Hancock said. “The Peggy Browning Fund has for more than a decade educated students on the importance of workers’ rights and to share in its outreach is inspiring.”

Since 1997, more than 320 law students have received fellowships through the Peggy Browning Fund, which was established in honor of a dedicated labor lawyer and member of the National Labor Relations Board. Local 726 Business Agent Chris Schneider was a recent fellowship recipient.

“Workers everywhere lead better lives today because of the selfless contributions of these labor leaders,” said John T. Coli, International Vice President and President of Joint Council 25. “From Ron Powell’s work with the UFCW and Terry Hancock’s strides as a Teamster and charitable powerhouse combating autism, their achievements will echo for lifetimes to come.”