[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 10]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 13422-13423]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




              IN RECOGNITION JIM PINKHAM AND MARK FLAHERTY

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. WILLIAM R. KEATING

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, August 2, 2012

  Mr. KEATING. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Jim Pinkham and 
Mark Flaherty, the two honorees at this year's ``Thanks Labor'' Day 
Cookout in Lakeville, Massachusetts.
   Mr. Pinkham and Mr. Flaherty are the President and Secretary/
Treasurer, respectively, of the Plymouth-Bristol Central Labor Council, 
which represents union members living and working in Plymouth and 
Bristol County in Massachusetts. It is not an overstatement to say that 
they have dedicated their lives to protecting the rights of workers and 
ensuring that the hardworking people of Plymouth and Bristol County are 
adequately represented in their unions.
   Mr. Pinkham is a lifelong member of the Utility Workers Union of 
America Local 369 and a former Boston Edison employee. Mr. Flaherty is 
a member of the Boston and Carmen's Union and has been involved with 
union activities throughout his tenure as an MBTA employee. As leaders 
of the Plymouth-Bristol Central Labor Council, Mr. Pinkham and Mr. 
Flaherty represent nurses, teachers, electrical utility workers, law 
enforcement and public safety personnel, construction workers, public 
sector employees, and other working men and

[[Page 13423]]

women of Massachusetts. Throughout their careers as union 
representatives, they have worked with companies to bring more jobs to 
the state, ensuring that the jobs brought are ones that come with fair 
wages and working conditions. They have also walked picket lines, 
worked voter registration tables, and organized educational campaigns, 
all civic activities with great importance for our communities. Their 
efforts strengthen Massachusetts' economy and workforce, and they are 
an essential part of the Commonwealth's effort to make the state a 
better place to live and work.
   Labor union representatives play a critical role in Massachusetts, 
ensuring that wages and benefits are fair and that working conditions 
are safe for the hardworking individuals who drive our economy. Our 
sincere recognition is due to the men and women who ensure that these 
unions run smoothly and successfully, as they often remain unsung 
heroes in our society. As longtime advocates of the workers of 
southeastern Massachusetts, Mr. Pinkham and Mr. Flaherty are highly 
deserving of the honor that is being bestowed upon them.
   Mr. Speaker, it brings me great pride to recognize Jim Pinkham and 
Mark Flaherty, this year's honorees at the ``Thanks Labor'' Day 
Cookout. I am proud to call them friends and I urge my colleagues to 
join me in recognizing these two individuals who have worked so hard to 
represent the workers of southeastern Massachusetts.

                          ____________________