[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 195 (Wednesday, December 19, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2619]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 HONORING ADAM CLAYTON POWELL, JR. THROUGH ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL JUSTICE 
                         FOR SECURITY OFFICERS

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. CHARLES B. RANGEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 18, 2007

  Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to draw attention to an event 
honoring my pioneering predecessor, former Congressman Adam Clayton 
Powell, Jr., of New York, and acknowledged in the New York CARIB News 
December 10 story, ``Honoring The Legacy of Adam Clayton Powell Jr.'' 
Local 32BJ--the largest private sector union in New York and the 
largest property service union in the country--has evoked the memory 
and legacy of Mr. Powell in its campaign to organize private security 
guards. The more than 60,000 New York security officers deserve a 
living wage that meets their needs and those of their families. This 
battle is the most recent offshoot of Mr. Powell's influence on social 
and economic justice. It is in his spirit that these hard-working 
Americans fight for the benefits due them, and I wholeheartedly join 
them in this campaign.

            Honoring the Legacy of Adam Clayton Powell, Jr.

       New York, NY.--In a major step forward for Local 32BJ's 
     city-wide campaign to organize security officers, Reverend 
     Dr. Calvin O. Butts welcomes Local 32BJ President Mike 
     Fishman and Reverend Johnny Ray Youngblood to the Abyssinian 
     Baptist Church for its annual commemoration of the life and 
     work of Adam Clayton Powell, Jr.
       This is the first time the union's security officer 
     campaign is being brought to the attention of Abyssinian's 
     members.
       ``Honoring the legacy of Adam Clayton Powell means 
     continuing his fight for social and economic justice,'' said 
     Mike Fishman, Local 32BJ President.
       ``It is unfair that these men and women risk their lives 
     protecting million dollar buildings, but don't make enough to 
     support their families.''
       More than 60,000 men and women in New York, most of whom 
     are African-American, work as private security officers. 
     Although they keep our city safe, many of them earn less than 
     $10/hr, receive no affordable health care and little, if any, 
     state-of-the-art security training.
       ``As leaders in this city in the fight for social and 
     economic justice the support of Reverent Butts and Reverend 
     Youngblood is vital to the success of our campaign,'' Fishman 
     added.
       ``Local 32BJ's campaign to raise wage and living standards 
     is about more than 60,000 security officers--it is about New 
     York itself,'' said Reverend Calvin Butts.
       ``The union's campaign is our community's campaign because 
     it represents a unified call-to-action to pay men and women 
     not only what they deserve, but what they need, to support 
     their families--regardless of color.
       ``Labor and African-American leaders have a long history of 
     working together--including organizing campaigns led by Dr. 
     Martin Luther King on behalf of sanitation workers and by 
     Adam Clayton Powell on behalf of pharmacists in Harlem.
       ``Nothing is more important in the union's security officer 
     campaign than fighting for respect,'' said Rev. Youngblood. 
     ``Armed with respect for ourselves and from the community, 
     and empowered with hard-earned respect from employers, we 
     will win this fight for economic and social justice.''
       The recent event took on added significance because the 
     union's campaign has been gaining momentum, and now 
     represents more than 6,000 security officers in New York--
     double the number from just a few years ago.
       With new campaigns visible at Jet Blue and Fordham 
     University, which both use Summit, a low-wage security 
     contractor, the campaign has picked up steam in recent 
     months.
       With more than 85,000 members, including 60,000 in New 
     York, Local 32BJ is the largest private sector union in New 
     York and the largest property service union in the country.

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