[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 49 (Friday, April 26, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E629]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        HONORING ROCCO COMPANARO

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. FELIX J. GRUCCI, JR.

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 25, 2002

  Mr. GRUCCI. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor Rocco Companaro, Field 
Plant Manager of American Bosch Arena, as he is recognized by the Long 
Island Federation of Labor.
  Rocco Companaro, was a supervisor at Arma, a manufacturer of highly 
sensitive and sophisticated instruments for United States Naval 
battleships and submarines. Rocco supervised the ordering of new 
materials, machining of parts to final assembly, and testing prior to 
shipment to United States Government sites.
  Rocco was Chairman of l.U.E. Organizing Committee at American Bosch 
Arma Corp., and was successful in organizing 6,500 new members. He 
negotiated the first contract for newly chartered Local 460, 
International Union of Electrical Workers.
  American Bosch Arma's first major strike on Long Island was in 1955. 
6,500 union members took to the streets over the issue of Equal Pay for 
Equal Work. The strike went on for four bitter cold winter months, 
November through February. They were victorious and became the first 
union in the country to have the clause, Equal Pay for Equal Work, in a 
contract.
  Rocco Companaro was President of Nassau/Suffolk Congress of 
Industrial Unions in 1956-1959. In 1959 after the merger of CIO and AFL 
Councils into the Long Island Federation of Labor, Rocco was elected 
Vice President of the Federation. He had responsibility for carrying 
out all functions of the Federation and AFL-CIO Programs. Rocco has 55 
years devoted to the Labor Movement.

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