[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 96 (Thursday, June 24, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1193]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        HONORING RON GETTELFINGER FOR HIS LEADERSHIP OF THE UAW

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                         HON. LINDA T. SANCHEZ

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 23, 2010

  Ms. LINDA T. SANCHEZ of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today for a 
man who dedicated his entire life to rising up for hardworking men and 
women in this country.
  Ron Gettelfinger, known to many as ``the chaplain'' for his drink-
free, smoke-free habits, started out as a chassis line repairman at a 
Ford factory in Indiana. He would later succeed in leading automotive 
employees for 8 years as president of the United Auto Workers union.
  Mr. Gettelfinger spent a significant amount of his presidency guiding 
over 500,000 men and women through a period of disheartening job cuts, 
plant closures, and financial hardship.
  And yet, he never relented in his fight for others. He never quit 
standing up for the people and the principles he believed in.
  As one of 12 siblings from a small farming town, President 
Gettelfinger has always had a way of bringing people together in 
solidarity. I have no doubt that he will, for the rest of his life, 
greet his union members as ``brother'' and ``sister.''
  He found dignity in all work and refused to accept the notion, much 
in fashion these days, that working men and women don't deserve a 
middle class wage that allows them to own a home, provide for their 
families, send their children to college, and afford quality health 
care.
  His make-no-apology approach saved countless jobs and even the 
viability of some businesses. To his core, he believes in respect for 
the working men and women of America.
  As President Gettelfinger begins the next stage of his life, we 
should all pay heed to a motto he lived by: Every job we save is an 
important job--that is what we are all about.
  It is an ideal we should all be about. He is a man to whom we should 
all give our gratitude.
  I urge my colleagues to join me in honoring Ron Gettelfinger for his 
commendable service to others and leadership in the face of adversity.

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