[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 6]
[Senate]
[Page 7759]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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                         RETIREMENT OF JOE DART

 Mr. KERRY. Mr. President. I honor a great and dedicated 
American, Joseph A. Dart, who for almost 30 years has championed the 
rights of workers across Massachusetts. As he prepares for a well-
deserved retirement, I am grateful to be able to pay tribute to this 
wonderful man and give him the recognition he deserves for touching the 
lives of so many.
  Joe has spent his career bringing real meaning to the American dream. 
As president of the Massachusetts Building Trades Council, AFL-CIO, and 
executive vice president of the Massachusetts AFL-CIO, Joe advocates 
for the rights of more than 75,000 construction trades men and women 
throughout the Commonwealth.
  Joe has fought for, and defended, the right to collective bargaining 
and the empowerment that it has brought to working families throughout 
our history.
  Joe helped write competitive bid laws for public construction 
projects, helped to pass the OSHA 10-hour law which requires all 
construction workers on public projects to undergo safety training, and 
helped to pass a law strengthening wage enforcement.
  Throughout his years in public service, Joe has negotiated dozens of 
agreements to guarantee fair, competitive wages, a reasonable work 
week, and safe working conditions on billions of dollars of 
construction projects throughout the Commonwealth.
  I am most fortunate to have had his support, friendship, and counsel 
throughout many campaigns and many years in office here in 
Massachusetts.
  An exemplary community leader, Joe has worked tirelessly to uphold 
the rights of thousands of Massachusetts workers who entrusted him with 
this office. Massachusetts is grateful for the service he has provided. 
Countless families in Massachusetts are living better, safer lives 
because of Joe Dart and his commitment to organized labor.
  On behalf of workers throughout our State, I am proud to honor him 
for his selfless dedication to countless works across the 
Commonwealth.

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