[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 57 (Tuesday, May 1, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Page S4098]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       CONGRATULATIONS TO ED HILL

 Mr. HARKIN. Mr. President, I would like to take a few minutes 
to congratulate Ed Hill, the new president of the International 
Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, IBEW, on his election.
  You know, when I think about all the hard work and long hours 
presidents Hill and Barry have put in over the years, I am reminded of 
a story that one of my heroes, the great Hubert H. Humphrey liked to 
tell.
  It was Humphrey's 65th birthday, and he was celebrating with his 
grandchildren. One of the grandkids looked up and said, ``Grandpa, how 
long have you been a Democrat?''
  Humphrey thought about that for a moment, and replied, ``Well, I've 
been a Democrat for 70 years.''
  His grandson said, ``Grandpa, how could you have been a Democrat for 
70 years when you're only 65 years old?''
  ``Easy,'' Humphrey answered, ``I've put in a lot of overtime.''
  Well, Ed Hill has put in a lot of overtime on behalf of the IBEW and 
on behalf of all Americans.
  You know, I like to tell people you go to any town in America rural 
or urban, big or small and you will see the IBEW's work on display. 
Whether it is lighting our homes, or heating our schools, or bringing 
the Internet to our libraries, it is clear that the IBEW's work is 
critical to our families and our economy.
  Ed Hill hails from Beaver County, PA, and he is got a long history 
with the IBEW. Ed joined IBEW Local 712 in his hometown back in 1956 
and worked his way up to business manager in 1970. He became part of 
the IBEW staff in 1982, and, by 1994, he was a vice president in charge 
of operations in Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey and Delaware.
  In 1997, Ed became the IBEW's second highest-ranking officer, and he 
worked hard to bring the latest technology to IBEW's operations. He 
also spent long hours building the membership of IBEW-COPE to record 
levels and making new strides in grassroots activism and 
communications.
  For over 100 years, the IBEW has been a leader in the union movement 
in America. Whether they were providing energy to our war efforts 
during World War II, creating one of the best apprenticeship programs 
around, or providing workers with the cutting edge skills they need to 
keep up with current electricity needs--IBEW was always ahead of the 
times.
  I know that Ed Hill will continue this proud tradition. I thank him 
for his dedication and commitment, and I look forward to working with 
him in the coming years.

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