[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 124 (Thursday, September 28, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1863]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 HONORING UNITED FOOD AND COMMERCIAL WORKERS UNION LOCAL 951 PRESIDENT 
                   ROBERT POTTER UPON HIS RETIREMENT

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. PETER HOEKSTRA

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 27, 2006

  Mr. HOEKSTRA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Robert Potter, 
President of the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Union Local 
951, upon his retirement.
  A graduate of Calvin College in Grand Rapids, MI, Robert Potter won 
election nine times as President of UFCW 951. Since 1980, he grew the 
organization from an unaffiliated union of 6,000 members into one of 
the largest local unions in Michigan and the largest UFCW local in the 
United States. Today, UFCW 951 represents more than 35,000 members in 
an exemplary fashion: with innovative programs, a diverse and dedicated 
staff and professional management systems.
  Robert Potter proved over the course of his career to be a skilled 
and pragmatic negotiator, facilitating several labor agreements that 
have preserved thousands of employee salaries and ensured the sustained 
prosperity of numerous businesses. In the early 1980s, he structured 
contracts with Kroger in West Michigan that allowed the grocer to 
remain profitable through today. The same contract model still guides 
other area employers. He also negotiated complex contracts covering all 
Michigan operations of Meijer, Inc. for 10 bargaining cycles without a 
single strike.
  Robert Potter graciously shared his talents beyond his UFCW service 
by holding several officer positions within organized labor, including 
Vice President of both the Michigan State AFL-CIO and the Metro Detroit 
AFL-CIO. He also won election and re-election as an officer of the 
Michigan Economic Alliance of Business and Labor, serving from 1990 to 
the present.
  Robert Potter's accomplishments and leadership will not soon be 
forgotten, and his years of dedicated service and expertise will 
continue to shape the UFCW long after his retirement. As Chairman of 
the Committee for the Future of the UFCW, he helped to guide the group 
that will undoubtedly play a significant role in ensuring the UFCW's 
future success.
  Mr. Speaker, please let it be known that on this 27th day of 
September in 2006, the U.S. House of Representatives acknowledges the 
contributions and achievements of Robert Potter.

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