In Memory of Cathy Brady

We, friends and co-workers of Cathy Brady and members of her union family, are deeply saddened by her sudden and unexpected passing on Friday, October 26th, 2018. She will be deeply missed by her family and the many workers whose lives she touched and by all us who called her friend and sister in the struggle.

Cathy was a relentless leader for justice and dedicated builder of the labor and progressive movements in Philadelphia and across Pennsylvania. She committed her life to fighting with and for her fellow union members and all working people. She was a striking Eastern Airlines worker, standing up to Wall Street in the 1980s. She later went to work for Tosco Oil, helping to lead her fellow workers on strike against corporate greed. In the ‘90s, Cathy became a nursing home organizer with SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania.  She was loved by members and respected by the employers. Cathy became a vice president of the union, helping to direct statewide efforts to support long term care workers fighting to lift themselves out of poverty and have a voice in their workplace. Most recently, she worked as a federal mediator, helping workers and employers find compromise in the midst of difficult negotiations.

Cathy tirelessly pursued her dream to turn the park across from her home in a working-class neighborhood in southwest Philadelphia into a monument to labor. Dedicated in 2010, The Labor Monument: Philadelphia’s Tribute to the American Worker transformed Elmwood Park into a community gathering space and an “outdoor history lesson.” The monument honors the radicals, women, immigrants, and workers of color who fought for a progressive, militant, and inclusive labor movement, from Eugene V. Debs and the Wobblies to the Bread and Roses strikers, Memphis sanitation workers, and Cesar Chavez.  

Those of us touched by Cathy's boundless passion, spirit, and kindness are working with her family and others to plan a fitting memorial event in her honor. 

Please consider making a donation and sharing this message with others who knew or worked with Cathy or were touched by her life and work. Any funds exceeding the cost of the memorial event will be donated to her family and to the Coalition of Labor Women in Philadelphia.

Cathy is survived by her mother, Lucy; her daughter, Machele; her son, Tom; grand children Lux and Cash; her sisters Margie, Barbara, Janice, and Maria; brothers, John, Bob, and Michael; 26 nieces and nephews; and a large extended family. 

THANK YOU in advance for your generosity.