HR0591 101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0591 LRB101 15206 MST 64369 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives wish to congratulate Michael T. Carrigan on the occasion of his retirement as the president of the Illinois American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO); and

WHEREAS, Michael Carrigan was elected president of the Illinois AFL-CIO on February 28, 2007 by unanimous decision of the State Federation Executive Board; during his 19-year tenure at the AFL-CIO, he served faithfully for 12 years as president and 7 years as secretary-treasurer; and

WHEREAS, Michael Carrigan's visionary approach resulted in many initiatives and successes for the Illinois AFL-CIO, including a gradual minimum wage increase to $15 an hour, the legalization of cannabis, and a $45 billion infrastructure program; and

WHEREAS, Michael Carrigan serves on the national AFL-CIO State Federation and Central Labor Council Advisory Committee, at the behest of the AFL-CIO President; at the regional level, he served as the chairman of the 12-state AFL-CIO Midwest Labor Federation Council; at the state level, he is a member of the Illinois Prevailing Wage Council Executive Board and was appointed in 2005 to serve on the Workers' Compensation Advisory Board; he has held a number of other labor positions, including trustee on the NECA-IBEW Health and Welfare Trust Fund and Pension Fund Boards, chairman of the South-Central Illinois Telecommunication Council of the IBEW, and president of the Decatur Building Trades Council; and

WHEREAS, Outside of his labor activities, Michael Carrigan served as co-chair of the Illinois Climate Change Advisory Group (ICCAG) and the Alliance to Protect the Illinois Constitution (APIC); he formerly served on the Economic Development Corporation of Decatur/Macon County, the Macon County Merit Commission, and the Decatur Celebration Board; and

WHEREAS, Prior to his career as a labor activist, Michael Carrigan was elected to the Decatur City Council in 1995 and served nearly four terms on the council before being appointed mayor of Decatur in July of 2008 to serve out the remaining term of the retiring mayor; he served as business manager/financial secretary for IBEW Local 146 in Decatur from 1992 to 2000; he was a journeyman wireman in Decatur from 1978 to 1990 before becoming assistant business manager of the local; he graduated from MacMurray College (Jacksonville) in 1976 with a Bachelor of Science; and

WHEREAS, Michael Carrigan built strong relationships with leaders across the great State of Illinois; he is a dedicated champion of the labor movement in Illinois; he is a vigorous defender of workers' rights and helped lead monumental efforts toward important labor legislation with county and State leaders; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Michael T. Carrigan on the occasion of his retirement as the president of the AFL-CIO, and we commend his 19-years of service to the AFL-CIO; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Michael Carrigan as an expression of our esteem and respect.