|
 Printer-Friendly Version
Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao
Labor Hall of Fame
Ceremony
Thursday, April 26, 4:00 pm
Frances Perkins Building
Auditorium
Thank you all for coming, and welcome to the 13th annual induction
ceremony of the Labor Hall of Fame. The Labor Hall of Fame honors outstanding
men and women whose distinctive contributions to labor issues improved the
lives of working Americans.
Their collective struggle has contributed to creating safe workplaces,
fair employment practices, and respect for the dignity of every working man and
woman.
Many of the regulations that the Department of Labor is charged with
enforcing today had their origins in the work of the men and women we honor in
the Labor Hall of Fame.
Their work reflects the original mandate of the Department of Labor:
"To foster, promote and develop the welfare of wage earners of the United
States, to improve their working conditions and to advance opportunities for
profitable employment."
I also just want to take a moment to thank the Friends of the Department
of Labor, a non-profit organization that established the Labor Hall of Fame in
1989 and maintained it until last year, when they donated it to the Department.
I want to thank them for their great work on the Hall of Fame, and their
ongoing involvement in maintaining the Hall and selecting new inductees.
The Hall of Fame is a great institution, and offers the Department a
wonderful way of commemorating some of the great men and women of the American
labor movement.
Today, we are gathered to honor Joseph A. Beirne, founding president of
the Communications Workers of America.
Joe Beirne was a giant in his time - a thoughtful man and a powerful
speaker whose influence upon the American labor movement remains strong today.
It was his vision and drive that shaped the Communications Workers of
America in their founding days. His life-long cause and commitment was to help
American workers help themselves, and his vision was broad and inclusive. He
had a uniquely broad vision of what a union could be, and he placed the
Communications Workers of America at the forefront of civic and humanitarian
service.
Joe Beirne was a special person in the labor movement in so many ways,
not least of which was that he was the first labor leader to head a major
charity, the United Community Funds, now the United Way - a terrific
organization that I was proud to lead a few years ago.
And in fact, when I was President and CEO of United Way, we were proud
to award a prestigious Joseph A. Beirne award to recognize the nation's
outstanding United Way Labor Leader.
I am so pleased to be able to tell you that the United Way has
generously donated a Joseph A. Beirne award to the Labor Hall of Fame to
include in our exhibit honoring Joe Beirne.
So, Joe Beirne's legacy lives on today in countless ways, whether it's
at the CWA, the United Way, or in the hearts of the many people who knew him
well and still consider him a personal and professional inspiration.
I can personally attest to the ongoing civic commitment embodied in the
Communications Workers Union today as a result of their proud history with Joe.
When I served as President of the United Way of America, I worked
closely with Morton Bahr, an invaluable Board member and the current President
of CWA.
Morty, I'm so glad you could be here today. Please, step up and share a
few of your memories of Joe.
| 
