[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 75 (Thursday, June 15, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1022]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     IN HONOR OF MARIO DE LA TORRE

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. NANCY PELOSI

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 15, 2000

  Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to Mario De La Torre 
on the occasion of his retirement after forty years as a member and 
leader of the Laborer's International Union of North America. Mr. De La 
Torre's life is an example of the American dream fulfilled and he 
deserves recognition for his able service to his fellow workers and the 
San Francisco community.
  Born in Mexico, Mario came to the San Francisco Bay Area as a young 
man. He immigrated to America in search of the opportunity that he knew 
would come from hard work and determination. At first he worked a 
series of jobs, including as a dishwasher and a cook, but he soon found 
his calling in the construction trades. At age twenty-three, he joined 
the Laborer's International Union of North America Local 261 and went 
to work as Laborer for various contractors.
  Mario's leadership abilities soon became clear and he rose to the 
position of foreman. Mario served as foreman for prominent companies 
where his talents drew the notice of the San Francisco Housing 
Authority, and he was recruited to assume a leadership role with the 
agency.
  By 1978, Mario had firmly established himself in the community and 
with his fellow Laborers. Well-respected by his peers, he was appointed 
that year as Field Representative for Local 261. He then began a second 
phase of his career as a leader in San Francisco's labor community.
  Over the next twenty-one years, Mario held several different 
positions for the laborer's Local 261, serving as an Executive Board 
member, a Vice-President, the Business Manager, and eventually 
President. In all of these capacities, he executed his duties with 
distinction.
  As is the pattern with Mr. De La Torre's life, his able work earned 
him the recognition of others. In 1991 he was selected for the post of 
Vice-President of the San Francisco Building and Construction Trades 
Council. In 1993, he joined the Executive Board of the Northern 
California District Council of Laborers and later served as Secretary/
Treasurer of the Council. During this time, he also became a Trustee 
for the Aggregates and Concrete Association and a Delegate to the San 
Francisco Labor Council
  Mario is a leader within our community, serving as President of the 
Centro Social Obrero, as the Secretary/Treasurer of the Labor Council 
of Latin American Advancement, and as an Executive Board member of the 
Mexican-American Political Association.
  Mr. Speaker, I join Mario's four sons, Mario Jr., Oscar, David, and 
Hugo, in wishing Mario a very happy and healthy retirement. He truly is 
an American hero.

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