[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 124 (Tuesday, July 26, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E782]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      HONORING HERMAN MACK WOODEN

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. DWIGHT EVANS

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 26, 2022

  Mr. EVANS. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor an influential member 
of the Philadelphia community, a leader and staunch advocate for 
employee rights. In 1989, Mr. Herman Wooden was elected to the position 
of Secretary Treasurer of Local 1776, making him the first African 
American constitutional officer and the chief financial officer of the 
union. Mr. Wooden held that position for 17 years, until his retirement 
in 2006. Mr. Wooden dedicated his life and career to improving the 
lives of working families.
  Mr. Herman Mack Wooden was born on ay 31, 1945, in Philadelphia, 
Pennsylvania. He was the son of the late James Wooden and Josephine 
Pierce. Herman was educated in the Philadelphia public school system. 
He graduated from Simon Gratz High School and completed some college 
courses. Herman enlisted in the Army in September 1963. He was 
honorably discharged as a Sergeant in January 1966.
  Mr. Wooden began his career with United Food Workers (UFCW) 1357, now 
Local 1776, in 1966 working as a clerk at the Wine & Spirit Shoppes, 
formerly known as the State Liquor Stores in Philadelphia, PA. While 
working as a clerk, he became heavily involved in the organizing effort 
to unionize the State store employees across the entire Commonwealth of 
Pennsylvania.
  In addition to working as a clerk, Mr. Wooden worked at the 
Philadelphia Parking Authority which ultimately led to him serving as 
Chair of the Philadelphia Parking Authority. Focusing on his passion, 
in 1971, Herman's effort to unionize state liquor store, pharmacy and 
supermarket employees was successful. He was very instrumental to the 
success of these industry workers campaigning to join Local 1357.
  In 1975, Mr. Wooden was hired as a full-time staff member of Local 
1357 as an organizer/representative. During his long career with the 
union, he held numerous positions that included Organizer, 
Representative, Political Representative and Lobbyist, Lead 
Representative, Servicing Director, and Executive Assistant to the 
President just to name a few. Furthermore, with all those positions, 
Herman continued to advocate for the rights of all working people and 
championed more diversity and inclusion in the labor movement. As noted 
above, in 1989, Mr. Wooden was elected to the position of Secretary 
Treasurer of Local 1776. In appreciation of his years of service and 
contribution to laborers' rights, Mr. Wooden was recognized by the 
Senate of Pennsylvania.
  In retirement, Mr. Wooden continued his work as a board member for 
the UFCW Minority Coalition, United Latinos, and Women's Network. These 
are all constituency groups, with the UFCW, that advocate for more 
diversity and inclusion in the labor movement; which are two areas that 
were very important to Herman throughout his entire life. He continued 
to assist in the efforts to protect the jobs of those same liquor store 
union members, that he originally helped organize over 50 years ago, 
right up until his last days. Herman Wooden was a real-life example of 
what it meant to be a trade unionist.
  Today, we mourn the passing of Mr. Herman Wooden which occurred on 
July 22, 2022.

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