[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 9]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 12909-12910]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 HONORING SHELLEY KESSLER, RETIRED EXECUTIVE SECRETARY-TREASURER, SAN 
                   MATEO COUNTY CENTRAL LABOR COUNCIL

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JACKIE SPEIER

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 15, 2016

  Ms. SPEIER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the retirement of 
an outstanding woman leader in San Mateo County, Ms. Shelley Kessler. 
She is leaving her position as Executive Secretary-Treasurer of the San 
Mateo County Central Labor Council, a position that she has held--and 
honored through her exemplary leadership--for twenty years. I am 
honored to call Shelley a trusted friend.
  She is a remarkable leader in public policy. She is a person who is 
willing to listen and to compromise, but she is also capable of holding 
the line when she seeks justice for those whom she services. No one 
would ever accuse Shelley Kessler of being a shrinking violet. However, 
she also seeks progress on behalf of the working men and women of San 
Mateo County without seeking credit for herself. In short, she is a 
forceful, thoughtful advocate for fair wages, safe working conditions, 
and for long-term public policies that benefit all San Mateo County 
workers.
  Shelley has two bachelor's degrees from Sonoma State University and 
spent a year in law school. She was a trailblazer in the auto 
manufacturing workforce as she was hired by General Motors in 1977 
during a time when the company was under a consent decree requiring it 
to hire more women. She worked as a spot welder on an assembly line and 
eventually was elected to a full-time position in the United Auto 
Workers. She later moved to Westinghouse Electric, working as a 
mechanic on turbines, generators and marine ordinance. While she was 
working at Westinghouse, she was also elected to leadership positions 
in Machinists Union Local 565.
  Fortune shined on San Mateo County when Shelley applied for a job at 
our local labor council. She led a strong and responsive team and built 
relationships with elected officials at all levels of government. Her 
intellect, thorough understanding of issues and willingness to 
negotiate are legendary.
  For example, San Francisco International Airport is one of the 
largest employers in San Mateo County. The 45,000 workers throughout 
this giant complex have Shelley and her partners at the labor council 
to thank for the outstanding working conditions that the airport 
director has informed me contribute to security throughout the 
facility. Instead of having an ever-rotating list of tens of thousands 
of persons with access to these critical facilities, people who enter 
the labor force at the airport--whether through the airport itself or 
various vendors--are assured a living wage and decent benefits. This 
directly contributes to a stable workforce that treasures the airport 
and honors its need for security.
  Shelley also led the way in establishing PALCARE for airport workers 
and the surrounding community, an innovative child care center that 
allows working families with unusual work hours to have a safe place 
for

[[Page 12910]]

childcare. She is also a leading advocate for affordable housing and 
affordable health care. She donates her time to the American Heart 
Association and to KQED, our local public television and radio 
affiliate, and she has preserved and strengthened the UC Berkeley Labor 
Center.
  She has served as Vice President of the California Labor Federation, 
and was once selected as ``Woman Labor Leader of the Year'' by the 
federation. She has also been inducted into the San Mateo County 
Women's Hall of Fame. She gets her greatest joy from her husband 
Dennis, a retired firefighter who discovered that being with Shelley 
was a step up from the energy needed to extinguish a massive blaze. The 
man is as cool as Shelley is hot.
  Mr. Speaker, San Mateo County has had many leading citizens over the 
decades, including such historical figures as the founder of the Bank 
of America or the CEOs of giant social media sites. Thankfully, we also 
have had a thoughtful, honorable advocate for working women and men: 
Shelley Kessler. We are losing a leader but gaining an adventurous 
retiree. It's doubtful that the county will ever be the same.

                          ____________________