[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 92 (Tuesday, June 5, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2986-S2987]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
Tribute to Dennis Williams
Ms. STABENOW. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to someone
who has been fighting for working men and women his entire career.
Just for a moment, let's think back to 1977. The top movie that year
was ``Star Wars''--the original one--and the average movie ticket cost
$2.23. The Apple II computer went on sale. It cost $1,298, not
including the television you needed to use for a monitor. The space
shuttle Enterprise took its first test flight, perched on top of a
Boeing 747. And a young Marine Corps veteran and salvage welder at J.I.
Case first joined UAW Local 806 in Rock Island, IL. He began fighting
at that point for workers' rights.
A few things have changed since then. ``Star Wars'' and Apple have
evolved, and the space shuttle has retired. Yet one thing hasn't
changed: Dennis Williams is just as dedicated to the working men and
women of the UAW today as he was four decades ago. Over the years, he
has served them in a number of ways, including negotiating the first
contract at Mitsubishi Motors North America in Bloomington, IL;
organizing Indiana State employees; helping Local 844 in Vermont, IL,
obtain their first contract; and serving locals throughout the nine
States of Region 4.
In 2010, he was elected UAW's secretary-treasurer. In 2014, he was
elected United Auto Workers' president, a position he has held with
distinction since then. It hasn't been an easy time to lead the UAW.
The great recession hit the American automobile industry very hard.
Some folks thought we should just let the auto industry go bankrupt.
Instead, the United Auto Workers made sacrifices, stood strong, stood
together, and weathered the storm. Under Dennis Williams' leadership,
the UAW ended 2017 with a fiscal surplus for the third straight year
and with more than 430,000 members--up 60,000 members since 2011. It is
no surprise. Anyone who has worked with Dennis knows just how dedicated
he is to his members and to the communities where they live and where
they work.
Just ask the people of Flint. During the water crisis--which, by the
way, continues on--UAW members from all over the country were some of
the first ones there to help. They collected bottled water and
distributed it in their own vehicles, going door to door to help, even
traveling to Washington, DC, to demand action from Congress. We are so
pleased that they helped us get action to help the families in Flint.
That tells us a little something about the character of the members
of the UAW. Yet, it also tells us a little bit about their leader--a
man who long ago signed up to serve his country and has simply never
stopped. I think that Dennis would say it is about solidarity. He wrote
in an editorial in the Detroit News last month:
We believe that no matter where you come from, who you are,
what language you speak, or what religion you practice--being
in a union is about working men and women standing up for
each other. That's how it was in 1935 when the UAW was
formed, and that's how it is now.
To Dennis Williams, thank you for your service, your hard work, and
your dedication to making life better for working men and women so that
we can actually have and sustain and grow an American middle class. I
know that the members of the UAW join me in wishing you the very best
in your well-earned retirement.
I know that my partner and colleague from Michigan will be coming to
the floor in just a bit.
Mr. President, I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mr. PETERS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for
the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
[[Page S2987]]
Mr. PETERS. Mr. President, the history of the United Auto Workers is
at the heart of what has made the United States a global economic
powerhouse. It is tied to the growth of the thriving manufacturing
sector and the birth of the American middle class.
Dennis Williams, UAW president since 2014, is a strong contributor to
this history. His leadership reflects a deep commitment to American
workers and a clear eye toward the future. Since the union's formation
in 1935, UAW members have stood together to ensure that their hard work
is met with fair wages, safe workplaces, and reasonable hours. For over
80 years, the voice of the UAW has amplified the voice of the American
worker. Dennis Williams is a champion of keeping this voice strong in
the 21st century.
Williams joined UAW Local 806 as a salvage welder in 1977, following
his service in the U.S. Marine Corps. There, he started his long path
of elected union leadership and served as chairman of the Bargaining
Committee. In the coming years, Williams would rise to the positions of
international representative, Region 4 assistant director, and Region 4
director. In 2010, UAW members elected him as secretary-treasurer,
followed by the presidency in 2014.
No matter what position Williams undertook during his decades of UAW
leadership, he always stayed true to his roots. After becoming UAW
president, he prioritized visiting union plants and locals to engage
with members directly. He stated: ``I love the smell of black coffee
and the smoke of the factory and walking up to UAW members and saying,
`brother' or `sister'.''
His passion for everything the UAW stands for, along with his
businesslike approach to tough decisions, enabled Williams to take on
some difficult challenges during his presidency.
Just as Williams started in his role, Michigan--home to around one-
third of UAW members--had recently become a so-called right-to-work
State. Michigan is now one of 28 States with policies designed to
undermine union participation and workers' rights to collective
bargaining. Despite tides of State and Federal anti-worker efforts,
Williams remained practical and optimistic about overcoming any
challenges that came the UAW's way. He emphasized the importance of
sitting down and talking through issues rather than resorting to
confrontation.
Williams was steadfast about not giving up on organizing, and he has
actively pursued new approaches to organizing that would keep the UAW
strong in the future. His strategy has definitely paid off. During
Williams' tenure, he successfully fought for the establishment of local
unions at Volkswagen and Mercedes locations in the United States and
for casino workers in Las Vegas. Under Williams' leadership, UAW
membership has increased by almost 7 percent--over 27,000 new members--
between 2014 and 2017. The growth rate and membership over this past
year has been the highest in a 1-year period since 2010.
I am deeply honored by Dennis Williams' representation of over
430,000 UAW members, including tens of thousands of workers in my State
of Michigan. I wish him well in his retirement, along with his wife,
Donna, of 43 years, his sons, Ryan and Matthew, and his grandchildren,
Kendahl and Kai.
I know I speak on behalf of many Michigan workers when I sincerely
thank Dennis Williams for his admirable service as the UAW's 11th
president.
I yield the floor.
I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mr. WHITEHOUSE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order
for the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Rubio). Without objection, it is so
ordered.
Mr. WHITEHOUSE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to speak for
up to 20 minutes as in morning business.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.