[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 150 (Tuesday, August 24, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E925]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





       RECOGNIZING LEWIS H. WEBBER, A TRUE WORKING-CLASS CHAMPION

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                           HON. BRIAN HIGGINS

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, August 24, 2021

  Mr. HIGGINS of New York. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize 
Lewis Webber, the President of Steelworkers Organization of Active 
Retirees (SOAR) Chapter 4-6, for a lifetime of fighting for the working 
class.
  Lewis Webber was born days before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor 
in December of 1941 so he was always ready for a good fight. Advocating 
for the workers at Bethlehem Steel was in his blood, as many of his 
relatives, including his father, were employed there. Growing up in a 
union household, he and his brother heard all the stories from their 
father about the strikes at Bethlehem Steel, including the famous 53-
day 1952 Steelworkers strike, ending with a victory for the hard-
working Steelworkers.
  It was not a surprise that both Lewis and his brother would also go 
on to work many years of their lives at Bethlehem Steel. Lewis started 
working at Bethlehem Steel in October of 1964. He was a member in three 
separate unions: United Steelworkers, Truckdrivers Local Union, and the 
United Autoworkers. As a member of the United Steelworkers, he recalls 
fighting to make sure that the proper withholding was taken out of the 
employees checks. Later, in 1985, Mr. Webber officially won a grievance 
against Bethlehem Steel, providing 22 workers an additional $238 a week 
for two years, and a pension for the rest of their lives.
  When Bethlehem Steel shut its doors, the Western New York community 
was devastated; however, that didn't stop Lewis Webber from continuing 
to fight for those who had worked there. He joined the Steelworkers 
Organization of Active Retirees (SOAR), Chapter 4-6 and put the skills 
he learned from earlier battles to work as he rose in the ranks of 
leadership becoming Trustee in 1997, Vice President in 2007, and 
President of the Steelworkers Organization of Active Retirees, Chapter 
4-6 in 2008. There are 430 members of SOAR, Chapter 4-6 who rely on his 
leadership today.
  Lewis Webber always says that you can never fight these battles 
alone. His number one supporter was his wife, Beverly who unfortunately 
passed away in 2011. She was also Secretary of the Steelworkers 
Organization of Active Retirees, Chapter 4-6. His children Rosemary, 
LuAnn, and Kathleen, grand-children, and great-grandchildren are always 
by his side, fighting the good fight.
  Mr. Webber joined our fight over a decade ago to help former 
Bethlehem Steel employees receive compensation under the Energy 
Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program (EEOICP) and he 
continues to work with my office to ensure eligible retirees receive 
the benefits they deserve. Over $300 million has been paid out to 
workers and their families after they were exposed to radiation while 
working at Bethlehem Steel.
  Lewis Webber offered many words of advice, including ``I am not doing 
this to make people millionaires; I am doing this to get them what they 
need to get by in this world. I am not doing this to help just the 
Steelworkers; I am doing this to help all Americans,'' and, ``Always 
fight using your brains, not your fists. At the end of the day your 
knowledge of the contract will be more likely to help you win the 
battle.'' His words demonstrate his commitment to his fellow workers 
and his lifetime of experience advocating for the interests of 
Steelworkers.
  Many Bethlehem Steel retirees and their families who live in Western 
New York are better off because Lewis Webber has never stopped and will 
never stop fighting for them. Madam Speaker, I ask that my colleagues 
join me in honoring the lifelong commitment that Lewis Webber has shown 
to the former employees of Bethlehem Steel, the greater Western New 
York community, and the United States as a whole.

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