[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 57 (Wednesday, April 9, 2003)]
[House]
[Pages H3014-H3015]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




RECOGNIZING 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF LABORERS' INTERNATIONAL UNION OF NORTH 
                                AMERICA

  Mr. LoBIONDO. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee 
on Education and the Workforce be discharged from further consideration 
of the resolution (H. Res. 186) recognizing the 100th anniversary of 
the founding of the Laborers' International Union of North America and 
congratulating the members and officers of the Laborers' International 
Union of North America for the Union's many achievements, and ask for 
its immediate consideration in the House.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from New Jersey?
  Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, reserving the right to 
object, I do not intend to object, and I yield to the gentleman to 
explain his request.
  Mr. LoBIONDO. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. I yield to the gentleman from New 
Jersey.
  Mr. LoBIONDO. Mr. Speaker, I rise tonight to offer, with the 
gentleman from California (Mr. George Miller), a resolution honoring 
the 100th anniversary of the Laborers' International Union of North 
America and to congratulate their members on the union's many 
achievements over this century.
  On April 13, 1903, laborers from across America rose to the challenge 
set forth by American Federation of Labor President Samuel Gompers to 
come to Washington and to meet and form a union to represent their 
interests. Made up of hardworking immigrants and minorities focused on 
construction work, these workers formed the Laborers' Union, and for 
100 years, this union has helped build America into the strong Nation 
that it is today.
  The union also pioneered equal treatment on the job for all workers, 
regardless of race, established union-led training and career 
development centers, and fought hard to improve worker safety.

[[Page H3015]]

  In 1965, the Laborers' Union officially changed its name to the 
Laborers' International Union of North America to show a growing 
diversification from construction into health care, food service, 
shipbuilding, mail handling, as well as local, State and government 
service.
  While the name of the union has changed, the spirit and dedication of 
those laborers 100 years ago has neither changed nor diminished, but 
instead has grown into a mighty work force for a better America. I wish 
the hard-working men and women a very much deserved happy 100th 
birthday, and I encourage them to keep up their impressive work well 
into the future.
  Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, continuing under my 
reservation, I want to join the gentleman in supporting this resolution 
congratulating the Laborers' International Union for the 100th 
anniversary of the founding of this union.
  Our resolution cites the grand history of this union from its 
beginning, when Samuel Gompers, the first president of the American 
Federation of Labor, challenged laborers across the country to 
coordinate their activities into one cohesive unit; and in response, 25 
delegates from over 17 cities, representing 8,000 laborers, met in 
Washington, D.C., on April 13 in 1903.
  From that date to this date, again the laborers meet in this city 
under the leadership of Mr. Terry O'Sullivan, their current president, 
to deal with the issues confronted by this union.
  This is a union, if we look across the American landscape, that has 
simply built America. The laborers were there first on most 
construction projects, be they public or private projects. It is a 
grand union that has undergone many reiterations in the past and 
represented many different kinds of workers, but most of us know today 
it is the hard-working members of the Laborers' International Union; 
and I want to extend my congratulations. And I also want to recognize 
the work of their director of legislative affairs, Don Kaniewski, who 
does such outstanding work on Capitol Hill on behalf of the Laborers' 
Union.
  Mr. Speaker, I withdraw my reservation of objection.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from New Jersey?
  There was no objection.
  The Clerk read the resolution, as follows:

                              H. Res. 186

       Whereas Samuel Gompers, the first president of the American 
     Federation of Labor, challenged laborers across the country 
     to coordinate their activities into one cohesive unit, and in 
     response 25 delegates from 17 cities--representing more than 
     8,000 laborers--met in Washington, D.C. on April 13, 1903;
       Whereas after four days of meetings these representatives 
     formed the ``International Hod Carriers' and Building 
     Laborers' Union of America'' (Laborers' Union);
       Whereas the Laborers' Union was started and built by 
     immigrants and minorities, and today immigrants and 
     minorities continue to be the fastest growing segment of the 
     Union's membership;
       Whereas, in 1920, the Laborers' Union backed efforts by 
     African-Americans to win equal treatment in other United 
     States labor unions;
       Whereas by the late 1920s a boom in construction caused the 
     Laborers' Union membership rolls to approach 100,000, and 
     during this period the merger and addition of three other 
     unions--the International Compressed Air and Foundation 
     Workers Union; the Tunnel and Subway Constructors 
     International Union; and the International Union of Pavers, 
     Rammermen, Flag Layers, Bridge and Curb Setters and Sheet 
     Asphalt Pavers--further added to the Laborers' Union's size;
       Whereas the members of the Laborers' Union provided crucial 
     support to the National defense effort during World War II, 
     and during the post-World War II industrial boom the 
     Laborers' Union began organizing nonconstruction workers in 
     the labor force;
       Whereas, in 1950, the Laborers' Union built their own 
     training center in Kansas City, opening an era of high-
     quality training to help workers advance in their jobs and 
     careers by providing more opportunities for them and their 
     families;
       Whereas, in 1955, the Laborers' Union affiliated itself 
     with the AFL-CIO Industrial Union Department in order to 
     effectively represent the 60,000 laborers working under the 
     jurisdiction of the Industrial Union Department;
       Whereas, in 1965, the Laborers' Union officially changed 
     its name to the ``Laborers' International Union of North 
     America'' (LIUNA) to better reflect the continual expansion 
     of the union beyond the construction field;
       Whereas, during the 1960s, LIUNA successfully organized 
     municipal, State, and university employees, and in 1968 added 
     the 20,000 Mail Handlers Union to their ranks;
       Whereas, in 1970, intensive lobbying by LIUNA and other 
     unions resulted in the creation of the Occupational Safety 
     and Health Administration;
       Whereas more than 3,000 LIUNA members worked round-the-
     clock to clean up the site of the September 11, 2001, 
     terrorist attacks on New York City, completing the clean-up 
     three months ahead of schedule and under budget;
       Whereas LIUNA currently consists of approximately 800,000 
     members in more than 650 locals;
       Whereas LIUNA has long played a vital role in building the 
     United States by constructing highways, bridges, tunnels, 
     subways, dams, power plants, factories, office buildings, 
     schools, churches, hospitals, and apartment buildings and 
     houses;
       Whereas LIUNA members work in a variety of fields such as 
     local, State, and Federal government service, health care, 
     mail handling, custodial services, shipbuilding, food 
     service, and hazardous waste removal;
       Whereas LIUNA is one of the most innovative unions in the 
     labor movement, with 69 state-of-the-art training centers 
     across North America, and is among the most successful unions 
     at organizing within the labor movement;
       Whereas LIUNA is an extraordinary union whose leadership 
     works hard to protect its members' health and safety, to 
     provide laborers a strong voice in the workplace and 
     extensive skill training designed to empower members to reach 
     their full potential, and perhaps most important, to ensure 
     the dignity, respect, and security of laborers in the 
     workplace; and
       Whereas LIUNA's efforts are deserving of our attention and 
     admiration: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
       (1) recognizes the 100th anniversary of the founding of the 
     Laborers' International Union of North America and 
     acknowledges the tremendous contributions LIUNA has made to 
     the structural development and building of the United States 
     and to the well-being of countless laborers;
       (2) congratulates the members and officers of the Laborers' 
     International Union of North America for LIUNA's many 
     achievements and the strength of its membership; and
       (3) looks forward to the continuation of LIUNA's efforts 
     and believes that LIUNA will have an even greater impact in 
     the 21st century and beyond, enhancing the standard of the 
     living and work environments for future laborers.

  The resolution was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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