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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, Steamfitters Local 353 was granted a charter for
3membership from the United Association of Journeymen and
4Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipefitting Industry of the
5United States and Canada on June 10, 1911 in Peoria; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Steamfitters Local 353 started humbly with a
7membership of 12 men; in the last 100 years, the organization
8has grown to a membership of 621 journeymen and apprentices;
9and
 
10    WHEREAS, In 1949, Steamfitters Local 353 was instrumental
11in the organization of the refrigeration industry, welcoming
12those organized members into Local 353; and
 
13    WHEREAS, Steamfitters Local 353 merged with Local 528 from
14Pekin on January 1, 1978 and Local 579 from Canton on October
151, 1981; these mergers increased the jurisdictional area of
16Local 353 to encompass 11 counties in central Illinois; and
 
17    WHEREAS, The members of Steamfitters Local 353 work
18tirelessly in many fields, including pipefitting,
19refrigeration, HVAC, food processing plants, chemical plants,
20powerhouses, hospitals, and green awareness projects, thereby
21helping to make their communities comfortable, safe, and

 

 

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1healthy; and
 
2    WHEREAS, Recognizing the need for a well-trained
3workforce, Steamfitters Local 353 started the Joint Apprentice
4Training Committee in 1948; the Local 353 apprenticeship
5program strives to equip their members with the skills,
6certifications, and training necessary to become valuable
7members of the work-force in central Illinois and across the
8nation; and
 
9    WHEREAS, Recognizing the need to create a proactive and
10well-trained workforce, Steamfitters Local 353 broke ground on
11a state-of-the-art facility on September 17, 1998; the
12organization moved into their present location in July of 1999;
13and
 
14    WHEREAS, Steamfitters Local 353 has worked to create a
15sense of solidarity among their members by promoting numerous
16union causes, including labor rallies, the Peoria Labor Day
17Parade, and job fairs at local area schools; Local 353 also
18participates in "Get out to Vote" by manning phone banks; and
 
19    WHEREAS, Steamfitters Local 353 contributes to
20humanitarian causes in its community; Local 353 sponsors an
21annual charity golf outing which contributes to the Thomas
22Jefferson Foundation, providing scholarships for handicapped

 

 

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1students and the Children's Miracle Network; members of the
2Local man phone lines at the Children's Miracle Network
3telethon; the Local also hosts an annual blood drive for the
4Red Cross, which encourages their members to "give the gift of
5life" and actively supports the United Way, both financially
6and through volunteer work; therefore, be it
 
7    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
8NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
9we congratulate the members of Steamfitters Local 353 on the
10occasion of the 100th anniversary of the organization's charter
11with the United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of
12the Plumbing and Pipe Fitting Industry of the United States and
13Canada and wish them continued success and happiness in the
14future; and be it further
 
15    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
16presented to the members of Steamfitters Local 353 as a symbol
17of our esteem and respect.