[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 91 (Friday, July 1, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Page S7908]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       THE PASSING OF SOL STETIN

 Mr. LAUNTENBERG. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to 
a man who dedicated his life to the working men and women of New Jersey 
and the entire country, Sol Stetin. Sol passed away a few weeks ago, 
right after his 95 birthday. For many of those years he was a dear 
friend to me and my family. My family and I, and millions of others who 
knew Sol by name or reputation, will miss him very much.
  From the time since Sol's family arrived at Ellis Island in 1921, 
when he was just 10 years old, Sol worked hard to help his father 
provide for their family. At 16, Sol went into business for himself 
delivering newspapers. He even employed several other young men to help 
him. Sol was also a caddy at a local gold club and an amateur boxer.
  Sol grew up on the streets of Paterson, NJ, which is my home town. 
Back then, Paterson was a blue collar mill town where the people worked 
hard, often under extremely dangerous conditions. Like my own father, 
Sol took a job as a dye worker in a silk mill. In 1932, the workers 
declared a strike at the mill and although Sol's job remained safe, he 
joined those struggling workers and helped to lead their effort, 
ultimately becoming one of the organizers.
  After that first strike on behalf of the hard-working men at that 
Paterson silk mill, Sol Stetin decided to dedicate his life to 
defending the rights of those who worked so hard to keep their families 
fed, housed, and clothed. Sol began his career in the labor movement 
and quickly became one of the most respected advocates for the workers 
in this country, rising through the ranks to become a member of the 
executive council of the AFL-CIO and the Vice President of the 
Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers Union.
  Sol knew how important it was to preserve and teach the history of 
the labor movement so he was one of the founders of the American Labor 
Museum-Botto House National Landmark in Haledon, NJ. As president of 
the Museum, he was instrumental in creating a training center that is 
now the model for educating those who continue to fight for fairness 
and safety in the workplace.
  Sol Stetin was a legendary figure in Paterson, where you could often 
find him sitting in a diner or standing on a street corner, talking and 
meeting with people who wanted to thank him for what he had done, or to 
seek his advice. He truly was one of those rare people who come along 
once in awhile and make a real difference in other people's lives.
  Sol's brother Irving Stetin was one of my father's closest friends 
when they were young men. They both worked in the silk mills in 
Paterson long before unions were in place, and they suffered from 
inadequate wages, no pay for holidays off, no healthcare, and no 
compensation for my mother when my father died at age 43. The cause of 
his death was attributed to unsafe and unhealthy working conditions in 
the mill.
  A powerful lifetime impression was created for me as I lived through 
those dreadful days with my mother and my little sister. I learned 
first-hand, the hard way, about the things working people need for 
their well-being and a decent quality of life. Those memories will 
always be with me and they serve as a guide for my decisions, not 
withstanding my good fortune as an executive in a very successful 
business.
  Because of the tireless work of Sol Stetin and his colleagues in the 
early days of the labor movement, what happened to my father is no 
longer the rule, but the exception.
  Sol Stetin's family came to America in search of a better life. Then 
Sol dedicated himself to helping other people in that same search. Sol 
dedicated himself to giving something back to this country we love so 
much. For that, each and every American should be as grateful to him as 
I am.
  Sol Stetin lived a long life. But more important, he lived a good 
life, devoted to helping others. We mourn his passing, but we celebrate 
his tremendous accomplishments on behalf of so many working men and 
women and their families and the country. We will miss him.

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