2025 Crystal Globe Award Recipients
Mark Lauritsen
UFCW International Vice President /
Director Of Food Processing, Packing & Manufacturing
Mark is International Vice President and Director of the Food Processing, Packing and Manufacturing Division of the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW).
Mark is a third-generation packinghouse worker who began his union career as a shop steward in the Wilson Foods meatpacking plant in Cherokee, Iowa. Today, his rank-and-file perspective guides his work to unite worker activists from across the country. Mark spearheads the UFCW’s work to organize new packinghouse workers, negotiate contracts, and to educate political and community allies in the effort to raise standards for all workers in the meat packing and food processing industries.
Matthew Lovell
Head of Labor Relations, JBS USA
Matt is a seasoned human resources and labor relations executive with more than two decades of experience in large, complex organizations. He currently serves as head of labor relations, employee health & safety, and security for JBS USA, where he oversees labor relations strategy, occupational health and safety, workers’ compensation, and security for a global food company with 85 facilities, 78,000+ employees across the USA and Canada, with annual revenues exceeding $40B.
As an accomplished labor strategist and chief negotiator, Matt has led and overseen more than 100 labor negotiations and the administration of more than 50 longstanding labor agreements impacting more than 35,000 union-represented employees. He is a trusted partner and subject matter expert on collective bargaining, relationship management, grievance resolution, and arbitration. His leadership has resulted in many groundbreaking agreements, including national-level settlements spanning dozens of facilities and multiple business as well as the creation of a historic pension fund designed to minimize liabilities while providing a stable retirement benefit.
Randi Weingarten
President, American Federation of Teachers
Randi is president of the 1.8 million-member AFT, which represents teachers; paraprofessionals and school-related personnel; higher education faculty and staff; nurses and other healthcare professionals; local, state and federal government employees; and early childhood educators.
Prior to her election as AFT president in 2008, Weingarten served for 11 years as president of the United Federation of Teachers, AFT Local 2, representing approximately 200,000 educators in the New York City public school system, as well as home child care providers and other workers in health, law and education.
Under Weingarten’s leadership, the AFT continues to grow and expand its voice as a union of professionals. Nationwide, the AFT is the second-largest union of nurses and other health professionals and the largest higher education union, representing 230,000 higher education faculty, professional staff and graduate employees.