Full Text of HR0421 102nd General Assembly
HR0421 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
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| 1 | | HOUSE RESOLUTION
| 2 | | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of | 3 | | Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of AFL-CIO | 4 | | President Richard "Rich" Louis Trumka, who passed away on | 5 | | August 5, 2021; and
| 6 | | WHEREAS, Rich Trumka was born to Frank and Eola Bertugli | 7 | | Trumka in Nemacolin, Pennsylvania on July 24, 1949; he | 8 | | attended college and law school; and
| 9 | | WHEREAS, A third generation coal miner, Rich Trumka spent | 10 | | his career in the labor movement; in 1982 at the age of 33, he | 11 | | was elected the youngest president of the United Mine Workers | 12 | | of America; he served as the secretary-treasurer of the | 13 | | AFL-CIO for over a decade and was elected president of the | 14 | | organization in 2009; he will especially be remembered as a | 15 | | relentless champion of workers' rights, workplace safety, | 16 | | worker-centered trade, democracy, and much more; during the | 17 | | 2008 election, he advocated for then presidential candidate | 18 | | Barack Obama to AFL-CIO members who were hesitant to vote for | 19 | | an African American; after strongly criticizing labor's lack | 20 | | of involvement in past trade negotiations, his support of the | 21 | | U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement was key to securing enough | 22 | | Democratic votes to pass the Trump-era trade deal; under his | 23 | | leadership, the federation focused its resources on fighting |
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| 1 | | for the repeal of the so-called "Cadillac tax" on expensive | 2 | | health care plans, raising the federal minimum wage to $15 an | 3 | | hour, and advocating for legislation to broadly expand | 4 | | collective bargaining rights; and
| 5 | | WHEREAS, Rich Trumka helped usher a new generation of | 6 | | leaders through his service on the boards of the National | 7 | | Labor College, the AFL-CIO's Solidarity Center, and the | 8 | | Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights; he served on | 9 | | the boards of the Economic Policy Institute and the Housing | 10 | | Investment Trust; in addition, he served as president emeritus | 11 | | of the United Mine Workers of America; and
| 12 | | WHEREAS, Rich Trumka approached each day with a fierce | 13 | | passion to fight for others; when taking respite, he could be | 14 | | found in the great outdoors, hunting, fishing, or camping with | 15 | | his family or with fellow members of the Union Sportsman | 16 | | Alliance; and
| 17 | | WHEREAS, Rich Trumka was preceded in death by his parents; | 18 | | his nephew, Bryan Szallar; his great-nephew, Bronson Szallar; | 19 | | his father-in-law and mother-in-law, John and Katherine | 20 | | Vidovich; and his brothers-in-law, John Vidovich and David | 21 | | Vidovich; and
| 22 | | WHEREAS, Rich Trumka is survived by his wife, Barbara; his |
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| 1 | | son, Rich (Jessica) Trumka Jr.; his sister, Francis (Alex) | 2 | | Szallar; his brother-in-law, Daniel Vidovich; his | 3 | | sisters-in-law, Nella and Nancy; his three grandchildren, Trey | 4 | | and Taylor Trumka and Ki Vidovich; his nieces and nephews; and | 5 | | his many other cousins; therefore, be it
| 6 | | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE | 7 | | HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | 8 | | we mourn the passing of AFL-CIO President Richard "Rich" Louis | 9 | | Trumka and extend our sincere condolences to his family, | 10 | | friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it further
| 11 | | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | 12 | | presented to the family of Richard Trumka as an expression of | 13 | | our deepest sympathy.
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