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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representatives wish to congratulate the Chicago Federation of
4Labor (CFL) on the occasion of its 125th anniversary; and
 
5    WHEREAS, The Chicago Federation of Labor was issued its
6charter by American Federation of Labor President Samuel
7Gompers on November 9, 1896; and
 
8    WHEREAS, Chicago is the hometown of the American Labor
9Movement and is the site of the Haymarket Affair, the Pullman
10Strike, the Republic Steel Strike, and more Local 1 unions
11than anywhere else; and
 
12    WHEREAS, The Chicago Federation of Labor has fought for
13economic, racial, and social justice for workers in Chicago,
14Cook County, and beyond for 125 years; and
 
15    WHEREAS, The Chicago Federation of Labor organized workers
16across industries in the 19th and 20th centuries regardless of
17race, ethnicity, or nationality; and
 
18    WHEREAS, One of the first presidents of the Chicago
19Federation of Labor was John Fitzpatrick, an innovator whose
20dedication to justice and passion for organizing sustained the

 

 

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1CFL for 40 years; and
 
2    WHEREAS, The Chicago Federation of Labor was guided by
3President William A. Lee for nearly four decades after the
4passing of President Fitzpatrick, navigating a changing world
5during the civil rights movement and beyond; and
 
6    WHEREAS, The Chicago Federation of Labor merged with the
7Cook County Industrial Union Council and other local labor
8councils in 1962; and
 
9    WHEREAS, The Chicago Federation of Labor created and
10managed radio station WCFL, the "Voice of Labor", from 1926 to
111978, bringing the latest news, information, and entertainment
12to working people in Chicagoland and beyond; and
 
13    WHEREAS, The Chicago Federation of Labor has published the
14Federation News for more than 100 years, first as a newspaper
15and now as a quarterly magazine, bringing labor news to local
16workers; and
 
17    WHEREAS, The Chicago Federation of Labor has brought
18freedom fighters and labor leaders from around the world to
19Chicago, including Cesar Chavez, Lech Walesa, and Nelson
20Mandela; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, In recent years, the Chicago Federation of Labor
2has worked to pass increases to the minimum wage, fair
3workweek, and paid sick leave laws, in addition to protections
4to retirement security and a host of other policies to protect
5workers; and
 
6    WHEREAS, The Chicago Federation of Labor supports its
7approximately 300 affiliates and 500,000 union members in
8Chicago and Cook County; and
 
9    WHEREAS, The Chicago Federation of Labor maintains the
10spirit of solidarity that has guided the organization for 125
11years, continuing the fight for justice for all workers;
12therefore, be it
 
13    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
14HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
15we recognize the Chicago Federation of Labor on the 125th
16anniversary of its founding, and we further recognize the CFL
17for its legacy of activism and solidarity with the working
18people of Chicago and Illinois; and be it further
 
19    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
20presented to the Chicago Federation of Labor as an expression
21of our esteem and respect.