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92_HR0964
LRB9216975RHrh
1 HOUSE RESOLUTION
2 WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3 Representatives are honored to recognize milestone events in
4 the lives of the citizens of the State of Illinois; and
5 WHEREAS, It has come to our attention that Don Turner,
6 President of the Chicago Federation of Labor AFL-CIO, has
7 announced his plans to retire this year at the end of his
8 term; and
9 WHEREAS, Don Turner has served as the President of the
10 Chicago Federation of Labor (CFL), a position he has held
11 since December of 1995; prior to his election as CFL
12 President, Mr. Turner was elected CFL Secretary-Treasurer;
13 and
14 WHEREAS, The Chicago Federation of Labor is the AFL-CIO
15 central labor body for Cook County, representing more than
16 300 unions and 500,000 workers; for over 100 years, the
17 Chicago Federation of Labor has been advocating for the
18 rights and interests of working people in the workplace and
19 in the halls of government; and
20 WHEREAS, Working his way through college, Mr. Turner was
21 a member of the Steelworkers (USWA) and Baggage Handlers
22 (UTU) unions; as a high school business teacher he became a
23 member of the Chicago Teachers Union and was elected union
24 delegate in 1968; he later went on to serve as the Union's
25 Administrative Director from 1977 to 1984; in 1984, Mr.
26 Turner was elected Chicago Teachers Union Vice President and
27 Illinois Federation of Teachers Vice President; he left to go
28 to the Chicago Federation of Labor as Assistant to the
29 President and Project Coordinator; and
30 WHEREAS, Mr. Turner has served as a Co-Chair of the
31 Chicagoland Labor Management Committee, a unique partnership
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1 the Chicago Federation of Labor and the Chicagoland Chamber
2 of Commerce have established to help resolve shared employee
3 issues in the workplace; he is a Board member of the
4 Metropolis 2020 and the Chicago Workforce Board and serves on
5 the Board of Directors of the Chicago Convention and Tourism
6 Bureau, the Chicago Manufacturing Center, Global Chicago, and
7 Citizens Action Illinois; he serves as a Commissioner of the
8 Public Building Commission, and he is an Advisory Council
9 member of the University of Illinois - Chicago School of
10 Public Health and a member of the Board of Governors of the
11 Metropolitan Planning Council; Mr. Turner is a former member
12 of the Illinois Economic Development Board, the Governor's
13 Commission on Educational Funding, and he served as a member
14 of Governor Edgar's Trade Mission to Asia and Mayor Daley's
15 Trade Mission to Mexico; he also served as an election
16 observer in Nicaragua in 1989 and represented the AFL-CIO on
17 visits to Poland; and
18 WHEREAS, In regards to his charitable endeavors, Mr.
19 Turner has served as the Labor Chairperson for the United Way
20 since 1995 and formerly served on the Board of Directors for
21 the Red Cross and the Board of Directors of the Boy Scouts of
22 America; and
23 WHEREAS, Don Turner has left an indelible mark on the
24 Chicago Federation of Labor since he first took office in
25 1995 and has led the way to a more innovative and activist
26 organization; as a high school teacher by trade, he has
27 provided many important lessons of solidarity over the years
28 on the picket lines, at the bargaining table, in the halls of
29 Congress, and even in celebration of the Chicago Federation
30 of Labor's labor achievements; and
31 WHEREAS, Don Turner's unique vision has brought the
32 Chicago Federation of Labor such innovative programs as Labor
33 in the Pulpits, Labor Day at Navy Pier, Union Images Art
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1 Exhibit, and the formation of the Chicago Manufacturing
2 Workforce Board; in addition, he has established coalitions
3 with influential Chicago business, political, charitable, and
4 religious leaders, which have bridged a crucial gap between
5 the union members and their own communities; he has also
6 worked hard to create good paying union jobs in Cook County
7 by supporting such legislative initiatives as Illinois FIRST
8 and the O'Hare Expansion Agreement; and
9 WHEREAS, Don Turner lives with his wife, Bernadette, who
10 was an English teacher and is currently a scholarship
11 consultant; they have two children, Joshua and Matthew; and
12 WHEREAS, On June 27, 2002, the Chicago Federation of
13 Labor will hold a special "Farewell Tribute Program" in honor
14 of Don Turner and his many contributions to the Chicago, Cook
15 County, and Illinois labor movement; therefore, be it
16 RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
17 NINETY-SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
18 we congratulate Don Turner on his retirement as President of
19 the Chicago Federation of Labor AFL-CIO and we wish him well
20 in all of his future endeavors; and be it further
21 RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
22 presented to Don Turner as an expression of our esteem.