[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 160 (Thursday, November 13, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Page S12649]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         TRIBUTE TO GARY SAUTER

 Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, December 6 marks the 50th birthday 
of one of the Nation's finest labor leaders. Gary Sauter has been a 
member of the United Food and Commercial Workers and its predecessor, 
the Retail Clerks International Association, for over 30 years, and he 
has done an outstanding job.
  Gary comes from a hard-working union family. His father and mother 
were both members of the Retail Clerks Union in Baltimore. In fact, 
they became engaged after a labor dispute.
  Following in their footsteps, Gary joined the Retail Clerks in 1965, 
as a cashier for Safeway Stores while he was attending the Baltimore 
College of Commerce. The union quickly recognized his ability and, in 
1969, Gary became a department store organizer. He worked effectively 
to organize workers at the Hoschschilds Kohn department store in 
Baltimore, and went on to become regional coordinator for the Retail 
Clerks' Southeastern Division.
  Later, Gary became organizing director for Local 400 of the Retail 
Clerks in Landover, MD. In large part because of Gary's efforts, the 
local grew to one of the largest and most effective local unions in the 
Washington, DC area.
  In 1988, after the Retail Clerks merged with the Amalgamated Meat 
Cutters to form the United Food and Commercial Workers' Union, Gary 
joined the new international as special assistant to the president. He 
continued to be a leader and, in 1994, was elected international vice 
president of the union. Later that year he was chosen to serve as 
director of the union's Legislative and Political Affairs Department, a 
position he holds today.
  Throughout his distinguished career Gary has done a brilliant job for 
the workers he represents. He has never lost sight of the importance of 
their needs, and he has worked skillfully and tirelessly to improve the 
wages and working conditions of all Americans.
  It is an honor to pay tribute to this impressive leader. I extend my 
best wishes to Gary, his wife Pat, and his children, Christopher and 
Amy, on this auspicious milestone. Well done, Gary, and keep up the 
great work.

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