HR0133 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0133 LRB097 10988 KXB 51650 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are pleased to congratulate Ronald E. Powell, President of Local 881 of the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) and resident of Mundelein on his 50th anniversary of serving working men and women in the retail food and drug industry; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Powell's career in the labor movement began as a Field Representative for Local 881 (then known as the United Retail Workers) in 1961; he was appointed to serve as Vice President/Director of Field Operations in 1973, and later served as the union's Secretary-Treasurer; and

WHEREAS, In addition to leading Local 881 UFCW as President, Mr. Powell is a Vice President on the UFCW International Executive Board and also a Vice President of the Illinois State AFL-CIO; and

WHEREAS, Under Mr. Powell's direction, Local 881 has assumed the role of a progressive and innovative leader on behalf of its members in the areas of work-site representation, membership services, benefits, communications, and activities; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Powell has been a dynamic force in promoting the union's involvement in a variety of charitable endeavors, including thousands of dollars being raised for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society to facilitate research toward finding a cure; he also initiated fundraising campaigns for Jackson Park Hospital, the Little City Foundation, and served as a former member of the Boards of the United Way of Illinois and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois; he also served for 10 years on the Village Board of Mundelein; and

WHEREAS, In 2010, Mr. Powell was appointed by Governor Quinn to serve on the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority Board; he has also served as Chairman of the Illinois State Board of Investment and on the Illinois Workers' Compensation Medical Fee Advisory Board, and he is currently a member of the Board of Directors of the Amalgamated Bank of Chicago; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Powell has proven to be a strong and enthusiastic advocate of union members and American workers in the area of legislative lobbying and has led the way to work on behalf of labor-minded political candidates in all levels of government who are sensitive to the needs of working people, including President Barack Obama; he has also been elected as a Delegate to the Democratic National Conventions in 1996, 2000, and 2008; and

WHEREAS, Ronald Powell and his wife, Lois, are the parents of four children and the proud grandparents of twelve; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Mr. Ronald E. Powell on a successful career in the labor movement and for his many contributions to the men and women of the United Food and Commercial Workers, which represents persons of many backgrounds and walks of life who come together for the shared goal of achieving the American dream and protecting and improving the livelihoods of all workers; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented the Ronald E. Powell and to the membership of the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union as a symbol of his contributions to the American labor movement.