[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 18 (Thursday, January 25, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E95-E96]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 HONORING JOHN HARRITY, PRESIDENT OF THE CONNECTICUT STATE COUNCIL OF 
             MACHINISTS, ON THE OCCASION OF HIS RETIREMENT

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ROSA L. DeLAURO

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, January 25, 2018

  Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, it is my great privilege to rise today to 
join the many family, friends, and colleagues who have gathered today 
to celebrate an outstanding member of Connecticut's labor movement and 
my good friend, John Harrity. John, who has been a proud member of IAM 
since the day after he was hired as a vertical turret lathe operator at 
Pratt & Whitney nearly forty years ago, marks his retirement having 
served as President of the Connecticut State Council of Machinists 
since 2012.
  John began his union service with IAM Local 1746 where he served as a 
Shop Steward and Senior Steward as well as editor of the Local Lodge 
1746 newsletter. In 1986, he was elected Business Representative, 
beginning his service with the Connecticut State Council of Machinists, 
and four years later he

[[Page E96]]

was asked to take the position of Editor/Organizer for IAM District 91 
and then an organizer for IAM District 26, a position which he has 
continued to hold until now. From contract negotiations to 
communications to organization efforts, John's work has helped to 
secure economic and retirement security for his members and their 
families. As President of the Connecticut State Council of Machinists, 
John has been the voice for more than 10,000 active and retired IAM 
members and they could not have asked for a more passionate or 
dedicated leader.
  John's work for IAM members has extended far beyond his role within 
the union itself. He has served as director of GrowJobsCT, a program 
that brings together labor and state business interests on issues of 
common concern in order to support manufacturing and its associated 
jobs throughout Connecticut. He has also served on a number of boards 
and commissions related to jobs, including as a member of the Board of 
Directors of the Connecticut Green Bank and Chairperson of the Board of 
Directors of the Connecticut Roundtable on Jobs and Climate. He was a 
founding member of the Connecticut Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Coalition, a 
member of the Advisory Board of Connecticut's Manufacturing Innovation 
Fund, and co-chair of the Workforce Development Committee of the 
Manufacturing Innovation Fund in its Investing in Manufacturing 
Community Partnerships federal initiative. John also played a critical 
role in the development of the Advanced Manufacturing Training Center 
at Goodwin College where he is an adjunct faculty member.
  Over the years, John and I have worked on countless issues together 
and I will always be grateful for his candor, friendship, and support. 
He has dedicated a lifetime to ensuring safe workplaces. Today, as he 
marks his retirement, I am honored to stand and extend my deepest 
thanks and appreciation to John Harrity for his bold leadership and 
outstanding contributions to IAM and Connecticut's labor movement. I 
wish him, his wife, Cindy, his children and grandchildren the very best 
for many more years of health and happiness as they begin this new 
chapter.

                          ____________________