[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 46 (Thursday, April 17, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E704-E705]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      TRIBUTE TO CHARLES A. HAYES

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                          HON. WILLIAM L. CLAY

                              of missouri

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, April 16, 1997

  Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to our former colleague 
and my dear friend, Charles Hayes--a leader, a visionary and a man of 
the people. Charlie passed away on April 8, 1997, in Chicago, IL.
  Charles Hayes was a crusader for justice, fairness, and decency. He 
began his quest to make the world a better place before most Members of 
this body were born.
  Emerging from the fiery furnace of the Great Depression as a member 
of the Civilian Conservation Corps, he learned the importance of work 
and fairness early on.
  At the young age of 20, Charlie stood up against racism and 
discrimination in the workplace. He organized a group of black 
carpenters in a flooring plant and formed a local union to secure 
fairer wages and better working conditions for the employees. He was 
elected president of that local and began his

[[Page E705]]

climb to become one of the most important labor leaders in America.
  In 1954, as district one director of the United Packinghouse Workers 
of America, Charlie forced the union to acknowledge and address the 
employment concerns of women in the workplace.
  For more than three decades, this working man from Cairo, IL used his 
union office to fight for the rights of ordinary people.
  Charlie was an advocate for full national health care for every 
American before anyone ever heard of Medicare. He voiced strong support 
for protecting American jobs from foreign competition long before the 
international trade imbalance became a major national concern.
  Everywhere you looked, you saw Charlie Hayes standing up for the 
little guy. From strikes to marches. From jobs and civil rights issues 
to health care and housing concerns. You could always count on Charlie 
Hayes to be there when the going got tough.
  In 1983, the people of the First Congressional District of Illinois 
sent Charles Hayes to Congress to fight for them--and fight he did.
  I had the privilege of serving with him on both the Committee on 
Education and Labor and the Committee on Post Office and Civil Service. 
He brought with him decades of hard work and experience on the front 
lines that helped him to make important contributions to both 
committees. He never forgot the struggle. He crafted every bill with a 
sincere commitment to securing justice and equality for working men and 
women.
  He introduced full employment legislation and denounced unemployment 
as morally unacceptable. While a number of politicians were arguing 
about how best to cut taxes on the rich, Charlie Hayes was arguing 
about how best to help those in our society who could not help 
themselves.
  When Charlie left Congress, he went back to Chicago to fight once 
again on the front lines with men and women who had served on the 
various task forces he formed while in Congress. Each day he fought the 
good fight.
  Though his struggle is over, Charlie's legacy will live on. We will 
always remember his strength of character, his love for life and his 
fighting spirit.
  I ask our colleagues to join me in honoring his wonderful life by 
continuing to champion the cause of American workers.
  I salute my dear friend Charlie Hayes and I bid him farewell.

                          ____________________