[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 128 (Tuesday, September 23, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Page S9805]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   RETIREMENT TRIBUTE TO JIM WENGERT

 Mr. HARKIN. Mr. President, I rise to pay tribute to the work 
of Jim Wengert--a good friend and great fighter for working people 
across the state of Iowa and around the country.
  For well over a generation, Jim Wengert has been a leader at the Iowa 
Federation of Labor. From 1966 to 1979, he was Secretary-Treasurer of 
the statewide organization. And from 1979 until his retirement this 
year, Jim has been at the helm of the Iowa Federation of Labor serving 
as its President.
  Prior to his years at the Iowa Fed, Jim worked at Swift and Company 
in Sioux City. In 1952, he joined Local 71 of the United Packinghouse 
Workers of America and he wasted no time rising up the ranks. He served 
as Vice President and Steward of his local--and Recording Secretary and 
President of the Woodbury County Labor Council.
  In addition, Jim has been a legislator in the Iowa General Assembly, 
and a member of the United States Commission on Civil Rights, the 
University of Iowa Labor Advisory Committee, and the Iowa Workers' 
Compensation Advisory Committee.
  Mr. President, Jim Wengert has had a long and distinguished career 
but there is a common thread that weaves all his work together. For 
almost half a century, Jim Wengert has been on the frontlines of the 
battle for dignity and economic and social justice for the working 
people of this country.
  That fight has not been easy--far too often, the deck has been 
stacked against working people. But Jim never picked his battles 
because the odds were on his side. He did it because America's best 
values were on his side. Values like dignity, justice and fair play. 
Time and again, Jim Wengert put it on the line for workers on the line.
  To Jim, it's simple. Fighting for working people is a labor of love. 
That's why he has used his position and his platform to speak out for 
good jobs, a living wage, secure pensions, and a better future for our 
children and grandchildren.
  And if one looks across the landscape of Iowa and at all that's 
happened that's been good for working people, I guarantee you'll find 
the fingerprints of Jim Wengert. Because whether it's passing 
legislation, electing progressive candidates, or changing attitudes, 
Jim helped make it happen.
  Mr. President, Jim Wengert is an optimist, a doer and a believer. He 
believes with his head and his heart that tomorrow can be better than 
today. And the power to make that happen isn't in the hands of 
``them''--the powerful and privileged. The power to make the future 
brighter rests with us--by organizing and working together.
  That is what a union is all about. And that's what Jim Wengert is all 
about.
  I know the Senate joins me in wishing Jim many more years of health 
and happiness. And even though his retirement is a loss for the working 
people of Iowa, it is truly a gain for the Wengert family--for Jim's 
wife Joanne, his children and, of course, his grandchildren.
  Once again, Mr. president I want to thank Jim Wengert for his 
commitment and service. We owe him an enormous debt for a lifetime of 
building our communities and advancing the cause of justice and dignity 
for the working people of Iowa and our Nation.

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