[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 82 (Monday, June 22, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1187]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           TRIBUTE TO THE GREATER WILKES-BARRE LABOR COUNCIL

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. PAUL E. KANJORSKI

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, June 22, 1998

  Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the 
Greater Wilkes-Barre Labor Council, the United Way of Wyoming Valley, 
and the City of Wilkes-Barre, the most populous city in Pennsylvania's 
Eleventh Congressional District. These three entities were recently 
honored by the AFL-CIO at its National Conference on Community 
Services. I am proud to bring this outstanding alliance to the 
attention of my colleagues.
  1998 marks the 50th anniversary of the partnership between the 
Greater Wilkes-Barre Labor Council and the United Way of Wyoming 
Valley. The AFL-CIO award recognizes outstanding community services, 
activities and programs provided by the United Way and the Labor 
Council. The City of Wilkes-Barre was named a Model City in Community 
Services for the Northeast Region for its affiliation with the 
partnership.
  Some of the programs recognized by the award included: union 
counseling, blood drives, services to retirees, food drives, and a 
wealth of other volunteer activities.
  Mr. Speaker, the Labor Council consists of more than forty unions of 
a diverse nature and has active standing committees on Community 
Services, Education, and Political Action and Legislation.
  My good friend Sam Bianco has been the President of the Labor Council 
for the past 19 years and an active United Way volunteer for for nearly 
40 years. Betty Friday has been the Chair of the Labor Council's 
Community Services Committee for 17 years and a United Way Volunteer 
for 40 years. Another good friend Lois Hartel, the Council Secretary, 
has been an active United Way Volunteer for 25 years and a past 
recipient of the prestigious United Way of America's Joseph Beirne 
Community Services Award.
  These hard-working, dedicated people and the others working with them 
on countless volunteer committees deserve our gratitude and respect. I 
join with the community in congratulating the Greater Wilkes-Barre 
Labor Council, the Wyoming Valley United Way, and the City of Wilkes-
Barre for sharing this outstanding honor and bringing pride to 
Northeastern Pennsylvania.

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