[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 94 (Friday, July 9, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1345]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        TRIBUTE TO PAUL MENDRICK

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. DIANA DeGETTE

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                          Friday, July 9, 2004

  Ms. DeGETTE. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the notable accomplishments 
of Paul Mendrick. This remarkable gentleman merits both our recognition 
and esteem as his impressive record of leadership and invaluable 
service have improved the lives of countless people.
  Paul Mendrick has devoted much of his time, skill and energy to 
making our State and our community a better place. Born to Joseph and 
Alice Mendrick in Pueblo, Colorado on October 23, 1948, he graduated 
from Pueblo South High School and attended classes at Southern Colorado 
State College. Paul enlisted in the United States Navy in 1970 and 
served as Yeoman to the Chaplin aboard ship until 1972.
  Paul has been a labor leader, political activist and has remained in 
the vanguard of those dedicated to economic and social justice. During 
his distinguished career with the United States Postal Service, Paul 
served in various capacities with the Denver Metro Area Local of the 
American Postal Workers Union (APWU). He served as President from 1976 
to 1992 and again from 1995 until his retirement in 2003. Under Paul's 
leadership, the Denver local became one of the most progressive locals, 
and he worked diligently to ensure that Postal Workers were represented 
fairly and their voices were heard in the United States Congress.
  Those who know Paul know that fairness for the working people 
matters. He is well known for being forthright and a skilled leader not 
only within the APWU, but in the Labor Movement. For Paul, solidarity 
has meaning. In 1980, when the Air Traffic Controllers (PATCO) were on 
strike, Paul and other labor activists opted to travel to the APWU 
National Convention in Miami, Florida, by motor home rather than cross 
picket lines to travel by air. As a board member of the Denver Postal 
Credit Union, Paul was instrumental in lobbying Congress against a 
proposed tax levy on credit unions which still stands today. In 1986, 
he was among the delegates selected by the AFL-CIO to travel to South 
America to be part of a grassroots movement to build a worldwide Labor 
movement.
  Paul has also dedicated his life to his family and recently became a 
grandfather. But for all of life's demanding pressures, Paul has found 
the time to give back to the community, and he has supported numerous 
charitable causes. He has spent endless hours working on behalf of the 
Special Olympics in Colorado and for Muscular Dystrophy. The APWU in 
Denver has always been a yearly participant in the March of Dimes Walk 
and, under Paul's leadership, the APWU has continually raised money to 
feed the homeless and take care of those less fortunate.
  It comes as no surprise that Paul was recently elected Secretary-
Treasurer of the Colorado AFL-CIO and continues to lobby for worker 
rights and a decent workplace. He has dedicated his life to working 
people and has brought both respect and dignity to the Labor Movement. 
He has used his inestimable skills and talents to advance the public 
good and the well-being of all our people.
  Please join me in commending Paul Mendrick, a distinguished citizen. 
It is the strong leadership he exhibits on a daily basis that 
continually enhances our lives and builds a better future for all 
Americans.

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