[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 84 (Friday, June 21, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1124]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page E1124]]
JACK HARTUPEE, DON ELLIOTT AND KATHI PILARSKI: ON THE JOB FIGHTING FOR 
                                 LABOR

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JAMES A. BARCIA

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, June 21, 2002

  Mr. BARCIA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor three individuals 
whose contributions to labor in the Saginaw Bay region of Michigan 
cannot be overstated. As Jack Hartupee, Don Elliott and Kathi Pilarski 
prepare to retire after many years of service to the Laborers' 
International Union of North America, their hard work and dedication to 
advancing the cause of labor throughout the area deserve recognition.
  Beginning in 1966, Jack Hartupee spent thirteen years as a laborer 
for Local 1098 before becoming the Local's business manager in 1979. 
For the past 23 years, Jack has handled the business concerns of the 
Local, while also finding time to lend his time and expertise in other 
areas, including the board that oversees the Health Care Fund and the 
Laborers' Political Action Fund. In addition, Jack was a delegate to 
the District Council. Jack's many contributions and his commitment to 
his union brothers and sisters have been second to none.
  In 1973, Don Elliott also began his career as a laborer for Local 
1247, which later merged with Local 1098 in 1985. Don became business 
agent for the laborers' union in 1996. Like Jack, Don also served as a 
delegate to the District Council. Don certainly has played a vital role 
over the years in ensuring the financial interests of his union and of 
his fellow laborers have been well-tended. His dedication to duty and 
his admirable work ethic stand as a model of diligence.
  Kathi Pilarski has been on the job as secretary for Local 1098 since 
1985 when she began work on a part-time basis. For the past 10 years, 
Kathi has worked fulltime, but those who know the many hours she has 
put in both on the clock and off understand that she has gone well 
above and beyond the parameters of her job description. Along with her 
many and varied duties in the office, Kathi also has been the driving 
force in making the annual dinner party run so smoothly each year.
  Finally, Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in extending the 
gratitude of the United States Congress to Jack Hartupee, Don Elliott 
and Kathi Pilarski for their years of work on behalf of laborers. Our 
laborers are the backbone of the construction industry and these three 
individuals have fought the good fight by dedicating their lives to 
improving the working conditions of their union brothers and sisters. I 
wish Jack, Don and Kathi all the best in their retirements and I am 
confident they will continue to be strong advocates for labor well into 
the future.

                          ____________________