RUMFORD – The Maine AFL-CIO has honored Sen. Bruce Bryant of Dixfield with the Edie Beaulieu Award for Outstanding Service to Maine Workers.

Bryant is a member of PACE Local 900 and its former president. He is former co-chairman of the Labor Caucus in the Maine Legislature and is a member of the Maine AFL-CIO Executive Board.

Maine AFL-CIO President Edward Gorham said Bryant “has, over a period of years, given outstanding service not only to the residents of Senate District 24 but also to workers and working families throughout Maine.

“He has sponsored, voted and worked for legislation that helps workers in a wide variety of areas such as expanding unemployment compensation benefits in order to provide fair treatment and justice for injured workers, increasing the minimum wage to assure that workers get a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work and increasing health coverage for all Maine citizens.”

Gorham added that, in addition to fulfilling his legislative duties, Bryant has personally spent many hours helping workers deal with the various government agencies – particularly injured workers presenting their cases to the Workers’ Compensation System.

“Over several decades we have awarded the Edie Beaulieu Award to hard working and dedicated legislators who have provided outstanding service to their constituents, to workers and to the people of Maine,” said Gorham, “but no one has ever been more deserving of this award than Sen. Bryant. He understands the issues in detail and he spares no time or effort to use his experience and knowledge to help those who need help, whether it be with his vote, his long hours of committee work or his personal assistance to individuals.”

Bryant is Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry Committee chairman and Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Committee chairman. He served three two-year terms in the Maine House of Representatives and is completing his first two-year term in the State Senate.

The Senate was reapportioned in 2003 and Bryant is seeking election to the new Senate District 14, which includes Jay in Franklin County and in Oxford County, Andover, Bethel, Buckfield, Byron, Canton, Dixfield, Gilead, Greenwood, Hanover, Hartford, Hebron, Lincoln Plantation, Lovell, Magalloway Plantation, Mexico, Milton Township, Newry, North Oxford, Peru, Roxbury, Rumford, South Oxford Township, Stoneham, Stow, Sumner, Sweden, Upton, Waterford, West Paris, Woodstock.