[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 81 (Thursday, May 12, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E492]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 RECOGNIZING MICHAEL RALPH THIBAULT FOR BEING INDUCTED INTO THE UPPER 
                      PENINSULA LABOR HALL OF FAME

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                           HON. JACK BERGMAN

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 12, 2022

  Mr. BERGMAN. Madam Speaker, it's my honor to recognize Michael Ralph 
Thibault for his induction into the Upper Peninsula Labor Hall of Fame. 
Through a lifetime of service and devotion to the public good, Michael 
has become an indispensable part of the Upper Peninsula and the state 
of Michigan.
  The U.P. Labor Hall of Fame was established in 1993 to recognize 
unionists who have made an outstanding contribution to the cause of 
worker dignity and workplace fairness. With a lifetime of service to 
his community and state, Michael is very deserving of this honor.
  Michael was born in Escanaba, Michigan, on November 12, 1949, and was 
raised in the Village of Garden. He spent many summers working for 
local farmers and loggers until he graduated from Garden High School in 
1967. In the spring of 1968, he traveled to Detroit with a Garden 
Peninsula ironworker to find work, eventually becoming a permit 
ironworker for a construction site.
  In 1969, Michael decided to return to the U.P. and was accepted for 
an apprenticeship with International Association of Iron Workers Local 
783. Over the next two decades, he served as an on-site steward 
representing Local 783 and Local 8 while working on many industrial 
projects. During that time, he joined the Joint Apprenticeship 
Committee for Local 783 and eventually the Executive Board as a 
Recording Secretary. Michael went on to serve in several other 
supporting roles, including as an Ironworker Business Representative, a 
delegate to the Marquette County Labor Council, and the founding 
president of the Upper Peninsula Regional Labor Federation.
  Madam Speaker, it's my honor to recognize Michael Ralph Thibault for 
his induction into the Upper Peninsula Labor Hall of Fame. This great 
honor reflects a lifetime of service towards the rights and wellbeing 
of fellow workers. Michiganders can take great pride in knowing the 
First District is home to such a dedicated leader. On behalf of my 
constituents, I wish him all the best in his future endeavors.

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