HR1234 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR1234 LRB096 22292 GRL 41315 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are pleased to congratulate Dennis J. Gannon on the occasion of his retirement as the President of the Chicago Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO; the CFL is comprised of 470,000 members and 300 affiliate unions; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Gannon has always worked in good faith with the business community, elected officials and fellow labor leaders to find common ground and opportunities for collaboration that would boost the Chicago region, and helped improve the lives of the state's working men and women; and

WHEREAS, At a time of wrenching change and challenge in our economy, Mr. Gannon has stood on the frontlines, fighting the good fight on behalf of his brothers and sisters in the labor movement; many, union members and not, have benefitted from his efforts to improve working conditions, workplace safety protections, wages, and health and retirement benefits; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Gannon has always been proud of Chicago's role in American labor history and knowledgeable about the union movement's struggles and victories; he has sought to ensure that important events and achievements, such as the birthplace of May Day and the workers' struggle for the eight-hour day, the Haymarket Tragedy, the Great Pullman Strike, and the Memorial Day Massacre, are not forgotten; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Gannon began his career in the labor movement at the City of Chicago Department of Streets and Sanitation, where he worked for 17 years as a hoisting engineer, foreman, and general foreman; as a member of the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150, he served as Business Agent from 1991 until joining the CFL in 1995; prior to his election as CFL President in 2002 and re-election in 2006, he served as CFL Secretary-Treasurer for 6 years and for one year as Assistant to CFL President; and

WHEREAS, Throughout his career in organized labor, Mr. Gannon has served on a number of boards and commissions for labor, government, and community organizations, including the Amalgamated Bank of Chicago, Blue Cross Blue Shield/HCSC, Citizen Action/Illinois, the Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau, Chicago Jobs with Justice, and the United Way of Metropolitan Chicago; he is a member of the board of governors of the Metropolitan Planning Council and president of the Michael Bruton Workplace Safety Foundation; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Gannon is also a member of the Chicago Public Schools Blue Ribbon Advisory Committee, the Chicago Workforce Board, the Illinois Department of Labor Advisory Board, the St. Joseph College Seminary's Rerum Novarum Committee, the University of Illinois at Chicago Labor Advisory Board, and the Welfare Reform Task Force; and

WHEREAS, From 1992 until 2004, Mr. Gannon served on the Illinois Capital Development Board; he was previously a member of the Illinois Human Resource Investment Council; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Gannon is a graduate of St. Laurence High School, where he was a linebacker and co-captain of the Prep Bowl-winning football team; he received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Indiana State University; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Gannon resides in Chicago with his wife, Diane; they are the proud parents of two children, Matt and Colleen; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Mr. Dennis Gannon on a successful career in the labor movement through his contributions to the men and women of the Chicago Federation of Labor, representing many backgrounds and walks of life, but who come together as the CFL for the shared goal of achieving the American Dream to protect and improve the livelihoods of all workers; we wish him well in his retirement and in all of his future endeavors; and be it further

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