HR0918 101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0918 LRB101 22160 ECR 73187 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, August 31, 2020 marks the 40th anniversary of the founding of the Solidarnosc, or Solidarity, trade union in Poland; and

WHEREAS, In the 1970s, Poland's government raised food prices while wages were stagnant; this and other stresses led to protests and a subsequent government crackdown on dissent; on August 7, 1980, tension was further raised when shipyard worker Anna Walentynowicz was fired five months before retirement from the Gdansk Shipyard for participation in an illegal trade union; her firing enraged the shipyard workers, who then staged a strike on August 14; on August 31, 1980, the communist government in Poland and striking workers signed the Gdansk agreements, which allowed the Solidarnosc trade union to exist; and

WHEREAS, The Solidarnosc trade union is recognized around the world as a beacon of hope and as a symbol of the nonviolent fight for freedom and equality; Solidarity was the first of its kind in a Soviet bloc country and played an instrumental role in ending communism in Poland and Eastern Europe; and

WHEREAS, Support from Polish Americans during the strike was a significant factor for the workers' victory; American support for the workers brought this issue forward in international politics and placed significant pressure on the Polish government to reach an equitable agreement; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we commend the contributions Polish Americans played in supporting Polish solidity during turbulent times in the 1980s.