[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 150 (Friday, October 31, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2154-E2155]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  STATEMENT ON THE PASSING OF JOHN N. STURDIVANT, NATIONAL PRESIDENT, 
           AMERICAN FEDERATION OF GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES (AFGE)

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. ELIJAH E. CUMMINGS

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, October 31, 1997

  Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, it is with great sorrow that I rise today 
to pay tribute to the memory of a great labor leader, a great citizen, 
and a great man, John N. Sturdivant. John Sturdivant was president of 
the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), one of the 
largest Federal unions, which has about 178,000 active members in 1,100 
locals and represents about 600,000 workers in 68 Federal agencies. 
Through all the Congressional debate about the role and 
responsibilities of the Federal Government, one person was always there 
ensuring that U.S. tax dollars were not wasted and that vital public 
services were not lost. He was a watchdog against inefficiency and a 
champion of worker and human rights.
  Mr. Sturdivant, a full partner in President Clinton's efforts to 
reinvent government, knew Americans wanted a more effective government. 
His efforts have made AFGE a leader in overcoming the Federal 
bureaucracy and achieving results. He combated the notion that workers 
are part of the problem when it comes to increasing government 
efficiency. Thanks to leaders like John Sturdivant, front-line workers 
are perceived as the solution and AFGE members are bringing about 
important changes in the way the Federal Government operates.
  During the 1995 and 1996 Government shutdowns, intensive work by Mr. 
Sturdivant and AFGE secured important public support for the hundreds 
of thousands of Government employees who were locked out of their jobs 
or forced to work without pay. As a result of AFGE's comprehensive 
campaign, strong public pressure was brought to bear on an intractable 
Congress, ending the shutdowns and returning Federal employees to work 
with the guarantee of back pay.
  As a key member of the National Partnership Council led by Vice 
President Al Gore, Mr. Sturdivant has helped agencies like Veterans 
Affairs and Social Security, once plagued with adversarial labor 
relations, improve customer service and save taxpayers' money.
  The changes his leadership brought to the Federal workplace have not 
only given workers a greater voice on the job, but also removed the 
roadblocks which prevented them

[[Page E2155]]

from taking part in the political process. A familiar face on Capitol 
Hill, Mr. Sturdivant helped AFGE achieve its 20-year legislative 
initiative with the passage of Hatch Act Reform, legislation that 
allows Federal employees to become politically active without undue 
restrictions.
  Mr. Sturdivant not only amplified the chorus of Federal workers and 
their issues, he was also a new voice for America's minorities. One of 
Ebony Magazine's 100 Most Influential Blacks in America, he was the 
first African-American to head AFGE and first to serve as president of 
a major AFL-CIO union. Elected in 1988, Mr. Sturdivant also served as a 
vice president of the AFL-CIO. In 1989, he was elected vice president 
on the AFL-CIO Executive Council.
  John Sturdivant was a trailblazer whose commitment and contributions 
on behalf of the labor movement, government workers and our way of life 
will be sorely missed. His passion and sacrifice have made a lasting 
impression on my colleagues and myself, and the people on behalf of 
whom he toiled will continue to benefit from the fruit of his efforts 
and cherish his memory for a long time to come.

                          ____________________