[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 41 (Thursday, March 9, 2017)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E301]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    IN RECOGNITION OF REBEKAH FRIEND

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. KYRSTEN SINEMA

                               of arizona

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 9, 2017

  Ms. SINEMA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a community 
leader, a fighter for working families, and a tireless advocate for 
women. Rebekah Friend served as the Executive Director and Secretary/
Treasurer of the Arizona AFL-CIO since 2002, representing 180,000 union 
members through over 200 local union affiliates in Arizona. She is 
retiring this year and I want to personally thank her for her work and 
dedication to Arizona's labor community.
  She was the first woman to be elected president of the Arizona AFL-
CIO in 2002 and the state federation's first female Secretary/Treasurer 
in 2005.
  I consider Rebekah a friend and a trusted advisor on any and all 
issues affecting Arizona workers. Since being elected to the State 
Legislature in 2004 I have counted on Rebekah to always tell me how 
policies will impact her members without pulling punches. Her integrity 
and honesty are just some of the reasons she has been a respected labor 
leader for so many years.
  For over 37 years, Rebekah has been a member of the International 
Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) and a committed advocate for 
working families. Throughout her career, she has played an integral 
role in developing legislation to improve the lives of working people 
in Arizona. She served as the first President of the Coalition for 
Labor Union Women in Maricopa County, lobbying state legislators on pay 
equity bills affecting female workers. Rebekah successfully chaired the 
Minimum Wage Coalition, which brought Proposition 202 to the ballot in 
2006 and raised the minimum wage along with a cost-of-living adjustment 
every year.
  Rebekah has received numerous awards of distinction for her public 
service. In 2004, Rebekah was awarded the YWCA's Woman of the Year, 
their highest award for a civic leader. In 2016, Rebekah was awarded 
the Pima Area Labor Federation (PALE) Community Partnership Award. She 
has also received the Arizona Capitol Times Leader of the Year in 
Public Policy Award (2007). Recently Rebekah received the AFL-CIO 2017 
MLK Unsung Hero Award for the work done on the BASTA Arpaio campaign.
  Rebekah has also served on numerous boards and commissions, including 
the Governor's Council on Workforce Policy, the Arizona Skill Standards 
Commission and the Governor's Prisoner Re-Entry Task Force. Rebekah is 
also a co-founder and board member of Emerge Arizona, which helps to 
identify and train Democratic women to run for elected office. Rebekah 
has also volunteered her time to assist local food banks and has done 
extensive mentoring with young women.
  I congratulate Rebekah on an incredible career in the service of 
working families and communities across Arizona. I wish her a well-
deserved retirement filled with friends, family and relaxation.

                          ____________________