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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representatives are pleased to congratulate Ronald E. Powell,
4President of Local 881 of the United Food and Commercial
5Workers International Union (UFCW) and resident of Mundelein on
6his 50th anniversary of serving working men and women in the
7retail food and drug industry; and
 
8    WHEREAS, Mr. Powell's career in the labor movement began as
9a Field Representative for Local 881 (then known as the United
10Retail Workers) in 1961; he was appointed to serve as Vice
11President/Director of Field Operations in 1973, and later
12served as the union's Secretary-Treasurer; and
 
13    WHEREAS, In addition to leading Local 881 UFCW as
14President, Mr. Powell is a Vice President on the UFCW
15International Executive Board and also a Vice President of the
16Illinois State AFL-CIO; and
 
17    WHEREAS, Under Mr. Powell's direction, Local 881 has
18assumed the role of a progressive and innovative leader on
19behalf of its members in the areas of work-site representation,
20membership services, benefits, communications, and activities;
21and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, Mr. Powell has been a dynamic force in promoting
2the union's involvement in a variety of charitable endeavors,
3including thousands of dollars being raised for the Leukemia
4and Lymphoma Society to facilitate research toward finding a
5cure; he also initiated fundraising campaigns for Jackson Park
6Hospital, the Little City Foundation, and served as a former
7member of the Boards of the United Way of Illinois and Blue
8Cross Blue Shield of Illinois; he also served for 10 years on
9the Village Board of Mundelein; and
 
10    WHEREAS, In 2010, Mr. Powell was appointed by Governor
11Quinn to serve on the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition
12Authority Board; he has also served as Chairman of the Illinois
13State Board of Investment and on the Illinois Workers'
14Compensation Medical Fee Advisory Board, and he is currently a
15member of the Board of Directors of the Amalgamated Bank of
16Chicago; and
 
17    WHEREAS, Mr. Powell has proven to be a strong and
18enthusiastic advocate of union members and American workers in
19the area of legislative lobbying and has led the way to work on
20behalf of labor-minded political candidates in all levels of
21government who are sensitive to the needs of working people,
22including President Barack Obama; he has also been elected as a
23Delegate to the Democratic National Conventions in 1996, 2000,
24and 2008; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, Ronald Powell and his wife, Lois, are the parents
2of four children and the proud grandparents of twelve;
3therefore, be it
 
4    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
5NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
6we congratulate Mr. Ronald E. Powell on a successful career in
7the labor movement and for his many contributions to the men
8and women of the United Food and Commercial Workers, which
9represents persons of many backgrounds and walks of life who
10come together for the shared goal of achieving the American
11dream and protecting and improving the livelihoods of all
12workers; and be it further
 
13    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
14presented the Ronald E. Powell and to the membership of the
15United Food and Commercial Workers International Union as a
16symbol of his contributions to the American labor movement.