[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 76 (Tuesday, May 9, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E966]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                 KILDEE PAYS TRIBUTE TO WALTER REUTHER

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                          HON. DALE E. KILDEE

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                          Tuesday, May 9, 1995
  Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge my colleagues in the 
U.S. House of Representatives to join me in paying tribute to the late 
Walter P. Reuther. Mr. Reuther, and his late wife May, are being 
honored by the United Auto Workers with a commemorative tribute to be 
held on Tuesday, May 9, 1995. This tribute marks 25 years to the day 
they perished in a plane crash.
  Walter Reuther was a true giant to the labor movement. He was the 
leader in the fight that gave birth to the labor movement in America. 
He committed his life to the workers of this Nation, assuring them 
justice and change in the workplace. Walter Reuther was a visionary. He 
established revolutionary precedents for workers including pensions, 
health care, and supplemental unemployment benefits. Walter Reuther is 
directly responsible for the standard of living that millions of 
Americans enjoy today.
  Walter Reuther was a patriot. He was a confidante of Presidents. 
During World War II, his dramatic ``500 Planes a Day'' plan was adopted 
by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. It was this plan that helped 
galvanize the Nation's industrial might, converting automobile plants 
into producers of tanks and planes, leading to the eventual defeat of 
the Axis Powers. President Kennedy was provided with the concept of the 
Peace Corps by Walter Reuther in 1960, having first outlined the idea 
in a 1956 speech to the National Education Association. He believed 
that the enemies of democracy could be defeated with enlightenment, 
knowledge, and the free exchange of ideas.
  Walter Reuther realized the labor movement should be a catalyst for 
social change. He waged a veritable war against racism, and was a 
tenacious champion of the civil rights movement. He was an ally and 
close supporter of Dr. Martin Luther King throughout the bittersweet 
days of the fifties and sixties.
  Mr. Speaker, it is indeed an honor and pleasure for me to rise today 
to pay tribute to a true American hero, Walter P. Reuther. In 
recognition of his dedication to his country he has been nominated 
posthumously to receive the Presidential medal of Freedom in 1995. He 
has been an inspiration to me and countless other working men and 
women. I know the entire U.S. House of Representatives will join me 
today in honoring this great American, Walter P. Reuther.


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