[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 136 (Friday, September 27, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1766-E1767]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         HONORING DOM BADOLATO FOR HIS YEARS OF PUBLIC SERVICE

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ROSA L. DeLAURO

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, September 27, 1996

  Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, on Tuesday, November 19, 1996 the 
Connecticut State AFL-CIO will hold a tribute dinner to honor Dominic 
J. Badolato. Dom is executive vice president of the Connecticut State 
AFL-CIO and president of AFSCME 1303. I have known Dom for a number of 
years and it gives me great pleasure to acknowledge his years of 
leadership and service to the public in his capacities on both the 
State and local level.
  I'm not sure where to begin when honoring Dom, he has contributed so 
much to the State and people of Connecticut. Dom began his career in 
the Connecticut General Assembly in 1954. He served as a State 
Representative for 22 years, representing his constituent's interests 
on a number of important issues like, fair labor laws and education. 
Indeed, Dom's most

[[Page E1767]]

important and lasting legacy in the general assembly is his commitment 
to passing labor legislation. Dom worked on the passage of legislation 
which assured that Connecticut's minimum wage is always higher than the 
Federal minimum wage requirement. This permitted Connecticut public 
employees to be covered for the first time, and also provided them 
coverage under the Connecticut Fair Labor Standards Act. Dom worked to 
pass legislation which eliminated the waiting period for qualifying for 
unemployment compensation benefits, expanded the number of people 
covered by the law and included public employees under the law for the 
first time, as well as employees of nonprofit institutions. His 
legislation established a benefit level at 60 percent of taxable wages 
earned and expanded the number of unemployment compensation offices.
  Dom has been an untiring advocate of public employees. His efforts 
and leadership won public employees the right to collective bargaining. 
He also saw to the enactment of the Connecticut Municipal Employees 
Relations Act, the State Employees Relations Act, and the Teachers 
Collective Bargaining Act. In addition to being a champion for public 
employees in the general assembly, Dom has been a leader of the AFSCME 
Connecticut Council 4. Dom became a staff representative for AFSCME in 
1961 and, in 1968, was elected to the post of executive director, a 
position he still holds. What is clear is that the issues that affect 
public employees have remained central to Dom's work and life.
  I am proud to join Dom's friends, family and colleagues as they honor 
his extraordinary commitment to the workers of the State of 
Connecticut. He has truly embodied the spirit of what it means to be a 
public servant and I applaud his unparalleled dedication.

                          ____________________