[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 171 (Tuesday, October 24, 2017)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1413-E1414]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                HONORING THE LIFE OF PEDRO RAMIREZ DAVIS

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. RAUL M. GRIJALVA

                               of arizona

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, October 24, 2017

  Mr. GRIJALVA. Mr. Speaker, I stand before you on this day to 
recognize Mr. Pedro Ramirez Davis for his dedication to organized labor 
and the progressive political community in Tucson, Arizona and Pima 
County. Regrettably, he passed away on October 9, 2017 after dedicating 
over forty years of service to his fellow man. He was a life-long 
member of the Laborers' International Union Local No. 479 and the 
Teamsters local in Tucson.
  Pedro R. Davis exemplified the highest ideals of the labor movement. 
He worked arduously to further the common goals of the working man to 
earn better wages, safer working conditions, the right to collective 
bargaining and the ability to call for a strike when the circumstances 
warranted it. He fought for benefits and financial aid for workers who 
were injured or retired.
  Pedro understood the importance of union organizing as a way of 
empowering people and changing lives. He understood the need to be 
proactive in advocating policies and legislation to bring about 
necessary change. He was a true supporter of the Democratic Party 
because he believed it championed the interest of the working class. He 
supported local leaders and candidates he believed advocated for the 
struggles of the lower and middle classes. He worked tirelessly for 
those candidates, going door-to-door, encouraging folks to join the 
cause, putting up signs, collecting signatures, attending rallies and 
pitching in wherever help was needed.
  Pedro was born in Nogales, Sonora Mexico in 1928. His parents 
struggled hard to support their family of twelve children. At an early 
age, Pedro learned the value of hard work when he had to do his part to 
help provide for his younger siblings. He would often share stories of 
his family all huddled around a single kerosene burner and a wood-
burning stove trying to keep out the chill of the frigid winters in 
their hillside Nogales home. In his household, there were times when 
there was not enough food, blankets and warm beds.
  His father's work often took him away from home and that would leave 
Pedro and his brother Samuel to step up, as the men of the house, to 
provide for the family in their fathers absence. This, no doubt, 
contributed to Pedro's kind and generous nature throughout his life. On 
one occasion, a fine gentleman wrote a letter to the editor about a 
Good Samaritan, who carried him across a flooded street refused to 
provide his name and rejected any monetary compensation for the rescue. 
The Good Samaritan was Pedro.
  At the age of 18, along with his peers, Pedro was drafted into 
military service. After completing his duty, like his father and 
grandfather before him, he worked as a carpenter. He moved to 
California to work for some time and upon his return to Nogales he met 
Enedina Luque. He fell in love with Enedina, and married her soon 
thereafter. They moved to Tucson in 1950 and Pedro began working in 
construction.
  Throughout the years, his construction job led him to work on many of 
the major industrial projects that transformed Tucson including the 
missile silos and copper mines in the surrounding the area. He joined 
Tucson's Local No. 479 of the International Laborers' Union and the 
local Teamsters' Union in their formative years and remained actively 
involved in their collective bargaining efforts throughout his working 
life.
  He took part in strikes against unfair labor practices when it became 
necessary, which was always a difficult thing, since he was unable to 
collect a wage for his family during those walkouts. Enedina always 
supported his decisions because they both saw it as a way for 
construction workers to obtain decent wages, health benefits, safe 
working conditions and retirement pensions. Pedro stood firm and worked 
extremely hard to make change possible for labor workers. His efforts 
were recognized by the leaders he worked to get elected which includes 
successful candidates such as: President Bill Clinton, Congressman Ed 
Pastor and myself, among others. Pedro would often receive invitations 
to dinners and other special events, to the surprise of many, including 
his family. Those were proud moments for him, indeed.
  Pedro and Enedina raised six children and he always impressed upon 
them the value of an education. He felt that an education was the best 
job security anyone could hope to have. Even though he only had a 
sixth-grade education himself, Pedro was a learned man, always reading 
newspapers and magazines in both English and Spanish. He could engage 
in informed discussions on current events around the world. He knew 
about world leaders as well as his local representatives and had a 
profound interest in politics at home and abroad. Pedro and Enedina 
voted without fail as soon as they became naturalized United States 
citizens. He also instilled in his children and grandchildren the 
importance of registering to vote and engaged them in discussions on 
the important issues of the day.
  In the early 80's, Pedro was asked to assist in the remodeling of an 
office building that had been made available to a candidate as the 
campaign headquarters. He was so inspired by the candidate that soon 
afterwards, he was out collecting signatures and walking door-to-door 
registering people to vote. He campaigned tirelessly for human rights 
and for candidates he respected. Pedro's car was always full of 
campaign signs and handouts. He eagerly shared his campaign experiences 
with his family. Pedro loved his country of origin, but he was proud to 
be an American. He loved and respected what this country stood for and 
wanted to make it better for the present and future generations.
  When Enedina passed away in 2007, Pedro seemed to have lost a skip in 
his step. He found comfort by staying active in the political sphere 
and through his love for guitar. He was a self-taught guitarist and 
amassed a collection of Mexican classic songbooks. After retiring from 
construction, Pedro kept himself busy working as a school crossing 
guard for the Tucson Unified School District, which is a job that he 
took very seriously. The safety of the schoolchildren made him happy 
and he always had a supply of Jolly Ranchers to pass out to them. One 
of his greatest joys came when he received a large bundle of handmade 
birthday cards from the kids at Safford Primary School. The students at 
the school made him feel proud and happy.

[[Page E1414]]

  After retiring as a crossing guard, Pedro could dedicate more time to 
his first love, the guitar. He would travel across town to meet with 
his friends in the guitar group. Together, they would polish their 
versions of the classic Mexican love ballads, even as he modestly 
repeated that he was not learning anything new.
  I close by saying that Pedro Ramirez Davis was a hard-working and 
decent man from very humble origins. Pedro, like so many immigrants, 
came to this country to work hard and build upon the character and 
values of our nation. He did so with pride and purpose. He lived a life 
worthy of recognition, honor and respect. His lifetime of involvement 
on behalf of the working people and the less fortunate in his community 
has not gone unnoticed. Pedro Ramirez Davis will be sorely missed.

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