SR0070 LRB095 10984 KXB 31290 r

1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to
3 learn of the death of George Becker of Gibsonia, Pennsylvania,
4 formerly of Granite City, who passed away on February 3, 2007;
5 and
 
6     WHEREAS, As a child, George Becker grew up near the Granite
7 City Steel plant; at the age of 15 he took a job at the plant on
8 an open hearth labor gang; and
 
9     WHEREAS, George Becker served with the United States Marine
10 Corps toward the end of World War II; he was drafted into the
11 United States Army during the Korean War due to a critical
12 shortage of light weapons infantry leaders; and
 
13     WHEREAS, George Becker's early work background also
14 included working as a crane operator at General Steel Castings
15 and as an assembler at the General Motors Fisher Body plant in
16 St. Louis; and
 
17     WHEREAS, On June 21, 1950 he married Jane Goforth; after
18 there wedding he began working at a Dow Chemical aluminum
19 rolling mill, becoming a shop steward for Local 4804; he later
20 became treasurer, then vice president, and in 1961 became the
21 president of the local union; and
 

 

 

SR0070 - 2 - LRB095 10984 KXB 31290 r

1     WHEREAS, George Becker was elected vice president of United
2 Steelworkers of America (USW) in 1985; after the retirement of
3 union president Lynn Williams; George Becker became the first
4 person since the founder of the USW, Phillip Murray, to be
5 elected president of the union without an election challenge or
6 the death of a predecessor; and
 
7     WHEREAS, He was elected as the sixth international
8 president of the USW in 1993, won re-election in 1997, and
9 served in that position until his retirement in 2001; and
 
10     WHEREAS, George Becker is survived by his wife, Jane; his
11 sons, George, Greg, and Matthew; his ten grandchildren; his
12 five great-grandchildren; and his sister; therefore, be it
 
13     RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL
14 ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn, along with
15 his family and friends, the passing of George Becker; and be it
16 further
 
17     RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
18 presented to the family of George Becker as a symbol of our
19 sympathy.