Jeffrey G. Keppel will receive the 2019 George Ritzer Memorial Labor Award during the city’s 40th Annual Greater Jamestown Labor Day Festival to be held Sunday at Bergman Park. The award ceremony will start at 4 p.m.

Keppel has worked and been involved in many various unions. He worked at Super Duper and later Quality Markets before graduating from Jamestown High School. He then worked for Group W. Cable before entering college at Jamestown Community College and then the State University of New York at Fredonia.

Keppel secured his first and only teaching position at Jamestown High School. He was a building representative, liaison chair, grievance chair and president of the Jamestown Teachers Association. He is a member of the National Education Association of New York and transitioned into a Uniserv director position. With the merger of the National Education Association and the New York State United Teachers, he became a labor relations specialist.

Keppel sits on the executive board of the Jamestown Labor Council as the treasurer.

Keppel lives in Jamestown with his wife, Tracey, with their three children, Thea, Drew and Erin.

The award is named after George Ritzer, who served as president of the Jamestown Area Labor Council for more than 20 years. He organized and served as president of the Food and Commercial Workers Local 1.

In 1984, the late Ben Spitale wanted to give recognition to a labor leader who was affiliated with the Jamestown Area Labor Council AFL-CIO. The award is given to an individual who volunteers and contributes towards the labor movement and volunteer’s time to community organizations.