[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 52 (Wednesday, May 4, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: May 4, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                    A SALUTE TO ROBERT P. ARGENTINE

                                 ______


                         HON. WILLIAM J. COYNE

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                         Wednesday, May 4, 1994

  Mr. COYNE. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased today to pay tribute to Robert 
P. Argentine, secretary-treasurer emeritus of the Carpenters' District 
Council of Western Pennsylvania, for his 50 years of continuous 
leadership in the United Brotherhood of Carpenters.
  Robert Argentine is being honored in Pittsburgh on May 7, 1994, by 
the Carpenters' District Council of Western Pennsylvania for his many 
years of service to the cause of working men and women. He has been a 
tireless advocate for the rights of workers. A labor leader in 
Pennsylvania, Bob Argentine has played a major role in promoting the 
economic well-being of working men and women in our region.
  As the United States prepares to compete in the global economy of the 
21st-century, it is fitting for the House to recognize the 
contributions of individuals like Robert Argentine who have helped to 
make our country an economic superpower. He and his colleagues in the 
labor movement have fought steadfastly for the improvement of working 
conditions and opportunities for workers to share in the wealth 
generated by their labor. Individuals like Bob Argentine have provided 
the leadership needed in their communities to help raise living 
standards for both members of the labor movement and for all working 
Americans. He offers an inspiring example for working men and women who 
seek to build on the legacy of the American labor movement.
  A native Pittsburgher, Robert Argentine has been a member of 
Carpenters' Local Union 142 since 1942. After attending the University 
of Pittsburgh School of Engineering and receiving two years of academic 
credit, Bob Argentine worked as a carpenter foreman and superintendent 
for various firms in Pittsburgh. He was selected to serve as business 
representative of the Carpenters' District Council of Western 
Pennsylvania and has held this position since 1954. He also served as 
executive business manager of the Carpenters' District Council of 
Western Pennsylvania from 1971 to 1993.
  Bob Argentine has worked within the Carpenters' District Council of 
Western Pennsylvania to provide opportunities for working men and 
women. He has used his position as a business representative to open 
the door for countless workers who have sought good paying jobs. During 
periods of growth and recession, Bob Argentine has done his best to 
link together employers with skilled, qualified and dedicated working 
men and women.
  Bob Argentine has also been a union leader at the State and national 
levels. He served as chairman of the Carpenters' Pension Fund; the 
Carpenters' Medical Plan; and the Carpenters' Annuity & Savings Fund 
from 1971 to 1993. Bob Argentine retired in 1993 from the position of 
vice president of the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO.
  Bob Argentine has also been active in a variety of civic leadership 
positions in the Pittsburgh area and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. 
He has been a member of the Pennsylvania State Planning Commission and 
has also been a dynamic member of board of directors of the Port 
Authority of Allegheny County where he has served as chairman of the 
Construction Committee responsible for overseeing efforts to expand 
access to first-rate mass transit service. He has also served as second 
vice chairman of the Greater Pittsburgh Guild for the Blind and is a 
former member of the Bishop's Committee on Unemployment. In addition, 
Bob has been a member of the board of directors of Allegheny County 
Works, Inc., and a member of the Allegheny County Community College 
Advisory Committee. He is also a past member of the Blue Cross Board of 
Directors and a former member of the board of directors of QED 
Communications. Finally, Bob is a member of the Duquesne Council 
Knights of Columbus.
  I know that Phyl Argentine has a right to be proud of her husband and 
the four outstanding children they have raised together: Robert Jr., 
who is a pediatrician; Dorthea Ann, who is married to an attorney in 
Washington, DC.; Peter, who is a producer of documentaries for PBS; 
and, Joseph, who recently received a doctorate in entomology and 
toxicology. I want to express here my strong regards for Bob Argentine 
and his family.
  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to offer this salute to Robert 
Argentine. All too often our Nation forgets the contributions of 
individuals like Bob Argentine who have helped to build our modern 
economy. It is highly appropriate that the House should provide an 
opportunity for this tribute to Bob Argentine and the working men and 
women of the United States of America.

                          ____________________