[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 52 (Tuesday, April 1, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E483]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     ON THE OCCASION OF THE CENTENNIAL OF LOCAL 636 OF THE UNITED 
  ASSOCIATION OF JOURNEYMEN AND APPRENTICES OF THE PLUMBING AND PIPE 
                 FITTING INDUSTRY IN SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. GARY C. PETERS

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, April 1, 2014

  Mr. PETERS of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to 
rise today to congratulate the members and leadership of the 
Steamfitters, Pipefitters, Refrigeration and Air Condition Service 
Local Union 636 as they gather to celebrate their local's centennial 
and recognize them for their many important accomplishments.
  As the Detroit chapter of the United Association of Journeymen and 
Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipe Fitting Industry (UA), Local 636 
and its members are part of an organization with a rich history that 
has supported our country in moments of crisis. As key participants in 
the Public Works Administration and Works Progress Administration 
during the New Deal, members of the UA put their skills and experience 
to work for the revitalization of our Nation--constructing many roads, 
dams, schools, libraries, and other public buildings that are a 
testament to the ingenuity of American workers. Furthermore, as 
citizens across the United States rose to answer the call to serve our 
Nation during WWII, members of the UA entered our Armed Forces and went 
to work in the Arsenal of Democracy--constructing equipment that was 
vital to our Nation's success. As a community that was central to 
industrial innovation and output during WWII and the decades that have 
come since then, the members of Local 636 in the greater Detroit area 
have a unique and strong bond to these significant moments in our 
history.
  With the mission of promoting the building trade professions through 
supporting high standards of excellence, the members of Local 636 are 
engaged in work that impacts the quality of our lives at home, at work, 
and in our leisure time. These high standards include a strong 
commitment to the ongoing education of its members, which Local 636 
supports with a three-acre training center where its members can 
receive practical hands-on training for a number of disciplines 
including steam and hydronic heating systems, building automation 
systems, and industrial controls. Furthermore, through its programs, 
Local 636's education center provides members with certifications in 
pipefitting mastery, industrial process control calibration, EPA 
refrigerant recovery, orbital welding, and for many other practical 
applications. The end result is an educated workforce that is well 
positioned to capitalize on advancements in technology and thereby, 
able to serve the changing needs of the greater Detroit region.
  Mr. Speaker, in the past one-hundred years, the members of trade 
unions have been at the center of so many advancements in the 
workplace, in the pursuit of social justice, and in improving the 
quality of education. Many of the protections and rights that we enjoy 
in today's workplace are a result of their decades of struggle and 
dedication. Local 636 of the UA has a proud history that includes these 
valiant pursuits and as their members gather to celebrate and reflect 
upon their achievements over the last 100 years, I congratulate them on 
the impact they have made and the commitment they continue to embrace 
in support of their members and Michigan's middle-class families.

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