[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 67 (Thursday, May 6, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E781]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         HONORING JOSEPH PETERS

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. SANDER M. LEVIN

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 6, 2010

  Mr. LEVIN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Joseph Peters, who is 
retiring as Director of the United Automotive Worker's Region 1 in 
Michigan. Our friendship and working relationship spans the many issues 
important to working Americans--trade, automotive, and health care--we 
worked on throughout the years, and it is my pleasure to pay tribute to 
him today.
  Mr. Peters first joined the UAW in 1967 and, in the decades since, 
has been a tireless advocate for automotive workers. Certainly, the 
past few years have been ones of tremendous challenge for the 
automotive industry, and Mr. Peters' dedication to preserving the 
industry, strengthening it for the future, and supporting the jobs of 
its employees, was steadfast.
  A native of Highland Park, Michigan, Mr. Peters began his career with 
the UAW Local 400 at the Ford Motor Company Mount Clemens Paint Plant. 
In 1978, he was elected to serve as the midnight shift committeeman of 
the Ford Utica Trim Plant and quickly gained recognition for his hard 
work and dedication: he was elected to the plant bargaining committee 
in 1981, chairman of the Utica Plant in 1984, vice president of Local 
400 in 1985, and president of Local 400 in 1986.
  Mr. Peters was appointed to the UAW International Staff in 1988 and 
served for the next eleven years in the Union's National Ford 
Department. There, he was responsible for health, safety, benefits and 
job security issues, and was involved in four national negotiations. He 
became assistant director of Region 1 in 1999 and was elected the 
Region's director in 2005.
  Despite this accomplished career, Mr. Peters cites as his greatest 
achievement the ``No Child Without Christmas'' foundation. This program 
brings together union workers, community leaders, and businesses to 
provide clothing, food, and gifts to thousands of homeless, neglected, 
or abused children each year during the holiday season.
  Mr. Peters' commitment to improving the lives of those around him is 
unyielding. He has a kind heart, an intense focus on what is important 
to workers and communities, and a loyalty to purpose and people. Madam 
Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating Mr. Peters on 
the occasion of his retirement after more than forty years with the UAW 
and decades of community and public activism. We recognize his many 
achievements and extend to him and his wife, Ann, and their entire 
family our best wishes.

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