[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 102 (Wednesday, July 21, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Page S8541]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               WALTER JOHNSON--HALF A CENTURY OF SERVICE

 Mrs. BOXER. Madam President, I am pleased and honored to 
salute Walter Johnson, the distinguished secretary-treasurer of the San 
Francisco Labor Council, AFL-CIO. Walter is retiring after nearly two 
decades in this position and more than 50 years of outstanding service 
to the labor community and the people of the San Francisco Bay Area.
  Born in North Dakota, Walter Johnson served his country in World War 
II and settled in San Francisco after his discharge. He got a job as an 
appliance salesperson at Sears Roebuck and joined Local 1100 of the 
Department Store Employees Union. Rising through the ranks of the 
union, he became its business agent in 1957 and was elected president a 
year later. He was elected secretary-treasurer in 1964 and reelected 11 
times.
  Walter was elected secretary-treasurer of the labor council in 1985, 
and has held this top post ever since. As the leader of more than 
80,000 workers in 140 local unions and constituency groups, Walter 
Johnson represents the face and voice of San Francisco's labor 
movement.
  He also embodies its heart. Walter's compassion and commitment to 
social justice are legendary. In the 1950s, he played a key role in 
breaking the color line by helping the first African American woman 
secure a position behind the counter at Woolworth's. Over the past half 
century, he has fought for workers' rights at home and in foreign lands 
including China and South Korea. A cancer survivor himself, he has been 
a leader in the fight against breast cancer. He is also active in his 
church, in promoting sports for children, and in the United Way of the 
Bay Area.
  Walter has become a trusted friend and adviser to me and to other 
elected officials, but he never lets us forget that we work for the 
people not the other way around. Even after he retires, I will still 
hear Walter's voice and feel him tapping on my shoulder, reminding me 
never to forget the working men and women I represent.
  After more than 50 years of service, even Walter Johnson needs a 
little time off. Along with thousands of his friends and admirers 
throughout the Bay Area, I wish him a long and pleasurable 
retirement.

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