[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 9]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 13101]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     RETIREMENT OF MICHAEL SULLIVAN

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. PETER J. VISCLOSKY

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, September 7, 2011

  Mr. VISCLOSKY. Mr. Speaker, it is with great respect that I stand 
before you today to congratulate Mr. Michael J. Sullivan on his 
retirement from his position as General President of the Sheet Metal 
Workers' International Association, SMWIA. For 46 years, Mike has 
devoted his life to serving, protecting, and improving the lives of all 
Americans who want to earn a living wage for their labor. This is 
particularly true for the members of the Sheet Metal Workers. Michael 
Sullivan will be honored for his many years of dedicated service at a 
retirement celebration on September 20, 2011, at the Gaylord National 
Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland.
  Michael Sullivan's leadership over the years has been indispensable 
for the Sheet Metal Workers' International Association. During his 
tenure, Mike has held numerous positions. I'm proud that his career 
began in my home state, in Indianapolis, Indiana, where he completed 
his apprenticeship. In 1973, Mike was elected business representative. 
He later became the business manager and financial secretary of Sheet 
Metal Workers' Local Union 20. While residing in Indiana, he served as 
president of the American Federation of Labor and Congress of 
Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) for the state of Indiana. Later, he 
was appointed by the Governor to serve as a member for the Indiana 
Workers' Compensation Commission and Hoosier Alliance Against Drugs. 
Mike was vice president of the SMWIA General Executive Council for 10 
years and then served as the General Secretary-Treasurer of the SMWIA. 
In 1999, Michael became President of the SMWIA, a position that 
includes supervising and directing 157 Sheet Metal Workers' Local 
Unions throughout the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. This 
vital group provides skilled services to various industries including 
sheet metal, air conditioning, kitchen equipment, transportation and 
other metal related manufacturing. Mike has also served as the vice 
president of the AFL-CIO Executive Council, while also participating in 
several AFL-CIO executive committees. In addition to the prestigious 
positions held by Mike, he has served as the labor co-chairman of the 
Democratic Governors' Association and also currently serves as 
president of the Eugene Debs Foundation.
  Mr. Speaker, Mike Sullivan represents the very best values of his 
home state of Indiana: hard work, perseverance in the face of setbacks, 
and a selfless nature of wanting to serve others before being served. 
He is a gentleman in the truest sense of the word: strong, decisive, 
but governed by compassion and kindness.
  Michael's dedication to his fellow members throughout his outstanding 
career is exceeded only by his devotion to his amazing family. Mike and 
his lovely wife, Amy, are happily married and enjoy spending time with 
their family, especially their beloved nieces and nephews and friends.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask you and my other distinguished colleagues to join 
me in commending Mr. Michael Sullivan as he is honored for his lifetime 
of service to the Sheet Metal Workers' International Association, its 
membership, and communities across the nation. Michael Sullivan is 
worthy of the highest praise for the tremendous contributions he has 
made to all of us. As my 95-year-old father, John Visclosky, would say, 
``He's a 100 percent guy.''

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