[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 24 (Tuesday, February 7, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E289-E290]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                      TRIBUTE TO JAMES A. WILLIAMS

                                 ______


                         HON. ROBERT A. BORSKI

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, February 7, 1995
  Mr. BORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to my good 
friend, Jim Williams, who will be honored as ``Glazier of the Year'' at 
the Glaziers, Architectural Metal and Glass Workers Union Local No. 
252's annual stewards dinner on March 11, 1995.
  Mr. Williams has been chosen for this honor because of his 
unparalleled dedication to the glazing industry and organized labor. As 
a third generation glazier, Jim has provided the members of local No. 
252 with the finest training in the country, fair and decent contracts, 
and the access to a dignified retirement. His tireless efforts on 
behalf of all unionized workers will benefit the labor movement for 
years to come.
  Jim Williams began his apprenticeship with Glaziers and Glass Workers 
Local No. 252 in 1968 upon graduating from Northeast Catholic High 
School. The next year he enlisted in the Army to serve our country in 
Vietnam. As an infantryman, he was awarded two Bronze Stars, the Army 
Accommodation Medal, and an AIr Medal. Returning home in 1971, Jim 
completed his apprenticeship and began work as a journeyman glazier. He 
was elected president of local No. 252 in 1975. He was subsequently 
chosen as business manager in 1979, serving until August, 1994, when he 
was elected to his current position as vice president of the 
International Brotherhood of Painters and Allied Trades.
  As business manager, Mr. Williams made Glaziers Local No. 252 into a 
well respected and influential force in the Delaware Valley, with 
membership tripling. He personally oversaw the construction of a new 
union hall in the northeast in 1982, which has since expanded with an 
Apprentice Training Facility.
  Jim Williams has also been very successful in many other areas. He 
has served as a member of the board of trustees of Temple University, 
and vice president of the Philadelphia Building Trades Council. In 
addition, he has been a board member of the Private Industry Council of 
Philadelphia and Special trustee and general representative of the 
I.B.P.A.T. Along with these esteemed positions, Mr. Williams has been 
honored repeatedly for his contributions to various organizations. In 
1982, he received the prestigious UNICO Man of the Year Award. He was 
also chosen as Labor Man of the Year by the Israeli Bond Association in 
1990, and in 1992 he received the Vietnam Veterans Labor Leader of the 
Year Award.
  [[Page E290]] Along with his many professional accomplishments, Mr. 
Williams is respected as a traditional family man. He resides in 
Holland, PA, with his wife of 22 years, Gerrie, and their two daughters 
and two sons.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank you for this opportunity to bring to the 
attention of the House the accomplishments of Mr. Williams, a dedicated 
and respected worker who has contributed much to both his profession 
and society at large. I commend Mr. Williams for these achievements.


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