[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 43 (Thursday, March 18, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E498]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                       A SALUTE TO WILLIAM JOHNSON

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. THOMAS M. BARRETT

                              of wisconsin

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 18, 1999

  Mr. BARRETT of Wisconsin. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate this opportunity 
to share with my colleagues my esteem and regard for William Johnson, 
Business Manager of Laborers Union Local 113 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 
On March 20, his family, friends, union brothers and sisters, and 
admirers will gather to celebrate Bill Johnson's over 40 years of 
service to Milwaukee workers and to wish him well as his life begins a 
new chapter.
  Bill returned to his native Alabama in 1955, an honorably discharged 
veteran of the United States Army. He stayed only a couple of weeks 
before he agreed to join his brother in Milwaukee.
  When he arrived in Milwaukee, Bill Johnson found work, but he did not 
immediately find union representation. During the early days of 
America's struggle for civil rights, many of the union locals in town 
were not admitting African Americans. When he joined the Laborers' 
paving local that would eventually become Local 113, he had found a 
home.
  Bill Johnson rose through the ranks to the position of Business 
Manager, ultimately responsible for contract negotiation and 
administration, personnel, and all of the union's other business. He 
has also served as Union Trustee for 30 years and is a trustee of the 
Laborers' Employers Cooperation Education Trust.
  As a leader, Bill Johnson earned the respect of Local membership. He 
led by example, with dedication to the welfare and professional 
advancement of the membership. He always remembered that a successful 
union draws strength from its members just as they draw strength from 
the union.
  After over 40 years, Bill Johnson is retiring as Business Manager of 
Laborers Local 113. His retirement from organized labor does not mean 
an end to his public service. Bill has been a longtime leader at Mt. 
Zion Missionary Baptist Church, and he presides over the church's 
economic and community development corporations. Under his direction, I 
know that these organizations will continue to work vigorously to bring 
housing and economic opportunity to Milwaukee's central city. Bill has 
also been active in leadership positions in the Milwaukee Jobs 
Initiative, the United Way of Greater Milwaukee, and Campaign for a 
Sustainable Milwaukee.
  I am proud to join his colleagues, his friends, and his many admirers 
in expressing my gratitude to Bill Johnson for a lifetime of devoted 
service to Milwaukee's working families. I ask my colleagues to join me 
in saluting Bill and wishing him well as he embarks on a new course.

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