[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 15]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 21144-21145]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         JOSEPH GORHAM HONORED

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. PAUL E. KANJORSKI

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, October 16, 2002

  Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call the attention of the 
House of Representatives to the honoring of Joseph L. Gorham at the 
Organized Labor 2002 Dinner to be held on October 24 by the Greater 
Wilkes-Barre Labor Council and the Northeast Alliance Pennsylvania 
Retirees District 3. Joe will be honored for his many years of 
dedicated and outstanding service to the local labor movement and the 
community.
  Joe was born July 11, 1943, in Wilkes-Barre Township to Robert John 
Gorham, a member of the United Mine Workers, and Genevieve Lombardelli 
Gorham, a member of the International Ladies Garment Workers Union. 
Tragically, he lost his father during a mine cave-in on August 17,1956.
  Joe graduated from Ashley High School in 1961 and was a member of the 
International Ladies Garment Workers Union from the late 1950s through 
the early 1960s. He also worked for United Parcel Service, became a 
member of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters in November 1965 
and was elected shop steward at UPS in 1969. In 1970, he was appointed 
to the executive board of Teamsters Local 401 and has served on the 
board both as trustee and recording secretary. In January 1991, he was 
elected to serve as principal officer of Local 401 and continues to 
serve in that capacity.
  Joe was a participant in the first class of Leadership Wilkes-Barre 
and has attended classes at the International Brotherhood of Teamsters 
Leadership Academy as well as the International Brotherhood of 
Teamsters Organizing School and labor management classes. He has served 
on the boards of the American Heart Association, United Way and the 
Labor-Management Committee.

[[Page 21145]]

  Joe currently serves as treasurer of the Wilkes-Barre Labor Council, 
chief executive officer of the Teamsters Local 401 board, advisory 
board member of the Central Pennsylvania Teamsters Pension and Health 
and Welfare Fund, board member of Teamsters Joint Council 53 Health/
Welfare and Pension Fund and chairman of the Local 401 Health and 
Welfare Fund.
  He and his wife of 39 years, the former Mary Ann Polny, have four 
children: Jeannie Marie, Maria Josepha, Pamela Ann and Joseph Matthew 
Gorham. He is the proud grandfather of 10: Amy and Abby Keller; Duane, 
Maria, Nicholas and Regina Deno; Todd and Kyle Oravic; and Jacob and 
Genevieve Antonia Gorham.
  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to call to the attention of the House of 
Representatives the achievements and service to the community of Joseph 
L. Gorham, and I wish him all the best.

                          ____________________