[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 4]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 5823]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



 A TRIBUTE TO RAYMOND W. ``JAKE'' ENGELHARD ON HIS INDUCTION INTO THE 
                        U.P. LABOR HALL OF FAME

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. BART STUPAK

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, April 4, 2001

  Mr. STUPAK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay special tribute to the 
late Raymond W. ``Jake'' Engelhard, a former resident of my northern 
Michigan congressional district, who spent decades as a miner, a 
community servant, a local volunteer. Jake was also a union leader, who 
devoted many years to the labor movement, helping ensure a good quality 
of life for working men and women.
  Jake was born in Rosco, Minnesota and moved to Ishpeming, Michigan, 
in 1935. He worked as an iron ore miner for 43 years for the Inland 
Steel Corporation and was the first miner to join the CIO union in the 
Lake Superior District.
  As president of USWA Local 2099 for many years, Jake's effort helped 
to improve the quality of life for miners on the Marquette Iron Range. 
Jake was instrumental in waging a successful strike in 1946 that lasted 
108 days. Contract demands were met as a result of that strike.
  Jake went through many strikes over the years, and he strived 
tirelessly to improve the wages and working conditions of his fellow 
workers. He retired in 1970.
  In addition to Jake's union activities, he was active in numerous 
community service and civic organizations. Jake also played on the 
Ishpeming city baseball team, later coaching the Ishpeming City and 
American Legion teams.
  Jake Engelhard was also a local businessman, the proprietor of the 
Coffee Pot in Ishpeming during the 1940s. You can be sure, Mr. Speaker, 
that a good deal of solidarity was served up to each patron along with 
their orders.
  There are many of us in Congress, who are concerned about the impact 
of world trade--and violations of world trade agreements--on our iron 
ore production back in Michigan. We fight this fight today with the 
assistance of administration officials and with the cooperation of 
varied segments of the steel industry. We fight for this industry, 
because we know it is vital to both the nation's health and the jobs of 
the men and women who work in the industry back home.
  Men like Jake Engelhard fought an earlier fight on behalf of the 
working men and women of the iron range, a battle that was vital during 
its time. But Jake's battles were different. It was the workers 
themselves with their limited resources, fighting with the weapons of 
belief in the rightness of their cause and the strength of their united 
effort. I look for encouragement and inspiration in those old 
struggles; I am reminded that battles may not be won in a week, a 
month, a year or perhaps many years. Our men and women who stood on the 
picket line to improve the lives of families have much to teach us 
about working on behalf of others.
  Jake will be honored Saturday, April 7, 2001, with induction into the 
U.P. Labor Hall of Fame at a banquet in Northern Michigan University in 
Marquette, Michigan. It is recognition long due.

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