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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to
3learn of the death of Margaret R. Blackshere, who passed away
4on July 6, 2019; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Margaret Blackshere was raised in North Venice by
6her mother, Frances, and her aunt, Margie; and
 
7    WHEREAS, Margaret Blackshere began her career in education
8as a kindergarten teacher in Madison after obtaining her
9master's degree in education at Southern Illinois University in
10Edwardsville (SIUE); while attending SIUE, she served as a
11student trustee and then as a trustee appointed by the
12governor; she organized the movement that led to the Madison
13teachers joining the Illinois Federation of Teachers (IFT); and
 
14    WHEREAS, Margaret Blackshere served at all levels of the
15labor movement from president of her local union (763) to
16statewide vice president of the IFT; in 1993, she was elected
17secretary-treasurer of the Illinois AFL-CIO; she was later
18elected as president and served two terms, the first woman to
19hold that position; she retired as president in February of
202007 and was given the status of president emeritus; and
 
21    WHEREAS, Margaret Blackshere spent her life working to

 

 

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1elect worker-friendly legislators and state-wide officials;
2her efforts were key to passing legislation dealing with
3raising the minimum wage, expanding health care, enacting card
4check for public employees, revamping unemployment insurance,
5and revising workers' compensation laws; one of her greatest
6contributions was her ability to bring competing interests
7together; and
 
8    WHEREAS, Margaret Blackshere was involved in numerous
9organizations fighting for equality and social justice; she
10served with Illinois Women In Leadership and with a variety of
11other boards, councils, and coalitions, including the United
12Way of Illinois, the American Red Cross in Illinois, the
13Chicago Council of Foreign Relations, the Unemployment
14Insurance Advisory Board, the Alliance of Retired Americans
15Executive Board, the Industrial Commission's Self Insure's
16Advisory Board, the Chicago Metropolis 2020 Board, the Illinois
17Women's Institute for Leadership, the Transportation for
18Illinois Coalition, the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago
19Advisory Council, and the Board of Trustees of the Global
20Solidarity Center in Washington, D.C.; and
 
21    WHEREAS, Margaret Blackshere received numerous awards,
22including the Labor Leader Award in 2000 from the Labor Council
23for Latin American Advancement, the Israel Peace Medal in 2000
24from the State of Israel, and the Protector of Working People

 

 

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1Award in 2002 from the Illinois State Crime Commission; she was
2the guest of honor in 2003 for Chicago's St Patrick's Day
3Parade; in 1998, she was inducted into the Illinois Labor
4History Society's Union Hall of Honor; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Margaret Blackshere was a delegate to the
6Democratic National Convention; she served as director of the
7Illinois Democratic Coordinated Campaign in 1990 and 1992 and
8was a member of the Democratic National Committee; and
 
9    WHEREAS, Margaret Blackshere was the loving mother of
10Michael (Catherine) and Thomas (Zoe); the devoted grandmother
11of Michael, Alex, Quinn, and Raquel Blackshere; and the fond
12sister of Patricia (the late Leroy) Smith; therefore, be it
 
13    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL
14ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of
15Margaret R. Blackshere and extend our sincere condolences to
16her family, friends, and all who knew and loved her; and be it
17further
 
18    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
19presented to the family of Margaret Blackshere as an expression
20of our deepest sympathy.