[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 9]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 13307]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




    IN COMMEMORATION OF THE CENTENNIAL OF THE LOCAL 537 PIPEFITTERS 
                         ASSOCIATION OF BOSTON

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. WILLIAM R. KEATING

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, September 9, 2011

  Mr. KEATING. Mr. Speaker, the Massachusetts delegation moves today to 
honor the Local 537 Pipefitters Association of Boston, which will be 
celebrating its Centennial on Saturday, September 10, 2011. It is with 
pride that we reflect on the many accomplishments of Local 537 members 
and with appreciation that we commend the organization for its 
unparalleled service to our great state.
   The history of Local 537 is a lesson in perseverance. The 
Pipefitters have seen decades of prosperity followed by years of 
declining job opportunities. In response, Local 537 members have become 
more versatile. They have borne witness not only to the advancements in 
the technology and materials on which their trade is dependent, but 
also to the evolution of workers' rights and labor unions. When hard 
times have fallen, the Pipefitters found work across the continent at 
the Trans-Alaskan pipeline, across borders to the oil fields of Canada 
and across state lines to construction jobs in New Hampshire, 
Connecticut, and Rhode Island--always to return when new opportunities 
arose at home.
   With a membership of over 2,600, the jurisdiction of Local 537 
covers Essex, Middlesex, Norfolk, and Suffolk counties and extends into 
Plymouth and Worcester counties. From Boston to Lowell and Salem to 
Quincy, the work of Local 537 is visible within the interiors of the 
very landmarks that make our state and cities unique and recognizable. 
They have left their mark on the resident halls and academic facilities 
of Harvard University, Boston College, Massachusetts Institute of 
Technology and Boston University; the piping systems in the Deer Island 
Water Treatment Plant and Weymouth Power Plant; and beneath the 
bleachers of the stadiums and arenas that house New England's proud 
sports teams.
   Today, Local 537 retains the competitive edge and adaptive spirit of 
the original plumbers, gas fitters and steam fitters who first 
organized themselves over a century ago. The Pipefitters are a true 
Massachusetts institution and we thank the organization for its 
numerous contributions to the Commonwealth.

                          ____________________