[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 71 (Tuesday, June 4, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Page S4962]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              IN RECOGNITION OF JAMES JOHNSON'S RETIREMENT

 Mr. CARPER. Mr. President, today I recognize James Johnson 
upon his retirement from DaimlerChrysler and as president of UAW Local 
1183 in Newark, Delaware after more than thirty-eight years of 
dedicated service. Known to friends and colleagues alike as ``JJ,'' he 
is a man with a kind heart, diverse interests and great abilities. JJ 
embodies the best of Delaware, the UAW and the America worker.
  JJ joined Chrysler as an assembler in 1964 and affiliated with UAW 
Local 1183. Over time, he began to work his way up through the 
leadership ranks of his local. By the 1980's, he had been elected a 
committeeman, and he served as a facilitator for the negotiation of the 
assembly plant's historic Modern Operating Agreement. His leadership 
ability apparent, he continued to climb the leadership ladder. 
Beginning in the early 1990's, his brothers and sisters of Local 1183 
elected him as their vice-president three times, a post that he held 
for eight years. Then, in June of 2001, JJ assumed the post of 
president of his local, a leadership position that he has held until 
his retirement.
  I have had the privilege of knowing JJ for more than two decades. We 
first worked together when I was Delaware's state treasurer in 1980 and 
negotiated the state's loan to Chrysler during the company's darkest 
hours. Right from the start, JJ impressed me as one who possessed the 
qualities of a leader. He was interested in doing what was right. He 
believed in doing things well. He followed the Golden Rule, treating 
others the way he wanted to be treated. He was adept at hammering out 
compromises, but when he knew he was right, he was loath to give up. 
Never boisterous or overbearing, JJ's quiet confidence helped to make 
him an effective advocate for his members and won the respect of 
Chrysler's management team at their Newark, Delaware assembly plant. I 
especially respected his willingness to share the credit when things 
went right, while assuming the blame when things went wrong.
  JJ deserves a good deal of the credit for helping to foster the 
positive relationship between labor and management that is the hallmark 
of DaimlerChrysler's Newark assembly plant. The rapport he helped to 
establish has served to preserve the plant during an era when many 
other automotive plants were closed due to over-capacity. Under his 
leadership, an atmosphere of cooperation emerged to replace the 
atmosphere of confrontation that had earlier existed. Under his 
watchful eye, quality products were built and productivity was enhanced 
as labor and management learned to work together towards common goals.
  JJ has been a respected colleague for over half of his life, and he 
remains a trusted friend to many. He takes pride in his work and has 
made thousands of autoworkers proud to work alongside of him. I thank 
him for his friendship, congratulate him on a successful first career 
and wish him and his family only the very best in all that lies ahead 
for him and for them.

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