HR0061 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0061 LRB096 09308 KXB 19462 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the House of Representatives of the State of Illinois are pleased to congratulate Steven M. Powell, Secretary-Treasurer of Local 881 of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union and resident of Mundelein, Illinois, on his election to serve the UFCW International Union and its Executive Board as an International Vice President on January 29, 2009; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Powell began his career in the Labor Movement in 1985 as a Union Representative with Local 881 UFCW after graduating from Lake Forest College in Lake Forest, Illinois, having earned a Bachelor's of Arts degree in Business and Political Science; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Powell helped Local 881 gain a strong voice in the Illinois political arena as he championed the fight to protect members' rights in the workplace in his capacity as Legislative Liaison , Assistant Director of Operations, and Executive Vice President before his election to Secretary-Treasurer in 1999; and

WHEREAS, The UFCW International Union in Washington D.C. selected Mr. Powell to serve as Director of Political Affairs, and in that role he developed numerous educational and political programs for local and regional UFCW affiliates in the U.S. and Puerto Rico in support of issues and candidates working to advance the interests of working families; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Powell has served as the Illinois State Central Committeeman in the 8th Congressional District since 2002, was an elected Trustee for the Village of Mundelein from 1997 to 2001, and has been a member of the Democratic National Committee since 2005; and

WHEREAS, In addition to his duties with the Local Union, Mr. Powell serves as Trustee for the UFCW Midwest Health Benefits Fund, Chairman of the Indiana Calumet Region Health and Welfare Fund, Trustee for the UFCW Local 655 Health and Welfare Fund, and on the Board of Directors of the International Foundation of Employee Benefits; and

WHEREAS, His charitable work includes service as a Board Member of the Glenwood School for Boys and Girls-South Campus; and he volunteers his time to organizations, including the NAACP, United Latinos of the UFCW, Coalition of Labor Union Women, UFCW Women's Network, and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Powell most recently led the efforts of the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union to mobilize and educate affiliated locals and its members to help elect Barack Obama President of the United States during the 2008 elections; and

WHEREAS, 1.3 million men and women across the United States and Canada are proud to call the United Food and Commercial Workers their union in a range of industries including retail food, meatpacking and poultry, food processing and manufacturing, and retail stores; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Mr. Steven M. Powell on a successful career in the labor movement through his contributions to the men and women of the United Food and Commercial Workers representing many backgrounds and walks of life, but who come together as the UFCW for the shared goal of achieving the American Dream to protect and improve the livelihoods of all workers; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Steven M. 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.