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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3 Representatives are pleased to congratulate Dennis J. Gannon on
4 the occasion of his retirement as the President of the Chicago
5 Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO; the CFL is comprised of 470,000
6 members and 300 affiliate unions; and
 
7     WHEREAS, Mr. Gannon has always worked in good faith with
8 the business community, elected officials and fellow labor
9 leaders to find common ground and opportunities for
10 collaboration that would boost the Chicago region, and helped
11 improve the lives of the state's working men and women; and
 
12     WHEREAS, At a time of wrenching change and challenge in our
13 economy, Mr. Gannon has stood on the frontlines, fighting the
14 good fight on behalf of his brothers and sisters in the labor
15 movement; many, union members and not, have benefitted from his
16 efforts to improve working conditions, workplace safety
17 protections, wages, and health and retirement benefits; and
 
18     WHEREAS, Mr. Gannon has always been proud of Chicago's role
19 in American labor history and knowledgeable about the union
20 movement's struggles and victories; he has sought to ensure
21 that important events and achievements, such as the birthplace
22 of May Day and the workers' struggle for the eight-hour day,

 

 

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1 the Haymarket Tragedy, the Great Pullman Strike, and the
2 Memorial Day Massacre, are not forgotten; and
 
3     WHEREAS, Mr. Gannon began his career in the labor movement
4 at the City of Chicago Department of Streets and Sanitation,
5 where he worked for 17 years as a hoisting engineer, foreman,
6 and general foreman; as a member of the International Union of
7 Operating Engineers Local 150, he served as Business Agent from
8 1991 until joining the CFL in 1995; prior to his election as
9 CFL President in 2002 and re-election in 2006, he served as CFL
10 Secretary-Treasurer for 6 years and for one year as Assistant
11 to CFL President; and
 
12     WHEREAS, Throughout his career in organized labor, Mr.
13 Gannon has served on a number of boards and commissions for
14 labor, government, and community organizations, including the
15 Amalgamated Bank of Chicago, Blue Cross Blue Shield/HCSC,
16 Citizen Action/Illinois, the Chicago Convention and Tourism
17 Bureau, Chicago Jobs with Justice, and the United Way of
18 Metropolitan Chicago; he is a member of the board of governors
19 of the Metropolitan Planning Council and president of the
20 Michael Bruton Workplace Safety Foundation; and
 
21     WHEREAS, Mr. Gannon is also a member of the Chicago Public
22 Schools Blue Ribbon Advisory Committee, the Chicago Workforce
23 Board, the Illinois Department of Labor Advisory Board, the St.

 

 

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1 Joseph College Seminary's Rerum Novarum Committee, the
2 University of Illinois at Chicago Labor Advisory Board, and the
3 Welfare Reform Task Force; and
 
4     WHEREAS, From 1992 until 2004, Mr. Gannon served on the
5 Illinois Capital Development Board; he was previously a member
6 of the Illinois Human Resource Investment Council; and
 
7     WHEREAS, Mr. Gannon is a graduate of St. Laurence High
8 School, where he was a linebacker and co-captain of the Prep
9 Bowl-winning football team; he received his Bachelor of Arts
10 degree from Indiana State University; and
 
11     WHEREAS, Mr. Gannon resides in Chicago with his wife,
12 Diane; they are the proud parents of two children, Matt and
13 Colleen; therefore, be it
 
14     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
15 NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
16 congratulate Mr. Dennis Gannon on a successful career in the
17 labor movement through his contributions to the men and women
18 of the Chicago Federation of Labor, representing many
19 backgrounds and walks of life, but who come together as the CFL
20 for the shared goal of achieving the American Dream to protect
21 and improve the livelihoods of all workers; we wish him well in
22 his retirement and in all of his future endeavors; and be it

 

 

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1 further
 
2     RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
3 presented to Dennis J. Gannon as a symbol of his contributions
4 to the American labor movement and the people of the State of
5 Illinois.