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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The members of the House of Representatives of the
3 State of Illinois are pleased to congratulate Steven M. Powell,
4 Secretary-Treasurer of Local 881 of the United Food and
5 Commercial Workers Union and resident of Mundelein, Illinois,
6 on his election to serve the UFCW International Union and its
7 Executive Board as an International Vice President on January
8 29, 2009; and
 
9     WHEREAS, Mr. Powell began his career in the Labor Movement
10 in 1985 as a Union Representative with Local 881 UFCW after
11 graduating from Lake Forest College in Lake Forest, Illinois,
12 having earned a Bachelor's of Arts degree in Business and
13 Political Science; and
 
14     WHEREAS, Mr. Powell helped Local 881 gain a strong voice in
15 the Illinois political arena as he championed the fight to
16 protect members' rights in the workplace in his capacity as
17 Legislative Liaison , Assistant Director of Operations, and
18 Executive Vice President before his election to
19 Secretary-Treasurer in 1999; and
 
20     WHEREAS, The UFCW International Union in Washington D.C.
21 selected Mr. Powell to serve as Director of Political Affairs,
22 and in that role he developed numerous educational and

 

 

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1 political programs for local and regional UFCW affiliates in
2 the U.S. and Puerto Rico in support of issues and candidates
3 working to advance the interests of working families; and
 
4     WHEREAS, Mr. Powell has served as the Illinois State
5 Central Committeeman in the 8th Congressional District since
6 2002, was an elected Trustee for the Village of Mundelein from
7 1997 to 2001, and has been a member of the Democratic National
8 Committee since 2005; and
 
9     WHEREAS, In addition to his duties with the Local Union,
10 Mr. Powell serves as Trustee for the UFCW Midwest Health
11 Benefits Fund, Chairman of the Indiana Calumet Region Health
12 and Welfare Fund, Trustee for the UFCW Local 655 Health and
13 Welfare Fund, and on the Board of Directors of the
14 International Foundation of Employee Benefits; and
 
15     WHEREAS, His charitable work includes service as a Board
16 Member of the Glenwood School for Boys and Girls-South Campus;
17 and he volunteers his time to organizations, including the
18 NAACP, United Latinos of the UFCW, Coalition of Labor Union
19 Women, UFCW Women's Network, and the Leukemia & Lymphoma
20 Society; and
 
21     WHEREAS, Mr. Powell most recently led the efforts of the
22 United Food and Commercial Workers International Union to

 

 

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1 mobilize and educate affiliated locals and its members to help
2 elect Barack Obama President of the United States during the
3 2008 elections; and
 
4     WHEREAS, 1.3 million men and women across the United States
5 and Canada are proud to call the United Food and Commercial
6 Workers their union in a range of industries including retail
7 food, meatpacking and poultry, food processing and
8 manufacturing, and retail stores; therefore, be it
 
9     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
10 NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
11 congratulate Mr. Steven M. Powell on a successful career in the
12 labor movement through his contributions to the men and women
13 of the United Food and Commercial Workers representing many
14 backgrounds and walks of life, but who come together as the
15 UFCW for the shared goal of achieving the American Dream to
16 protect and improve the livelihoods of all workers; and be it
17 further
 
18     RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
19 presented to Steven M. Powell and to the membership of the
20 United Food and Commercial Workers International Union as a
21 symbol of his contributions to the American labor movement.