Speeches by Secretary Elaine L. Chao

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Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao
14^th Annual Labor Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
U.S. Department of Labor
Washington, D.C.
October 10, 2002

Good morning. Thank you, Steven [Law, Chief-of-Staff of the Department of Labor].

Before I begin, I want to thank Congressman Ralph Regula, Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health, Human Services and Education, for being with us today. I know you have to vote shortly, Mr. Chairman, but we are honored that you could join us today.

Thank you all so much for coming to the 14^th Induction Ceremony for the Department of Labor’s Hall of Fame.

I also want to express gratitude to our special guests—Irena Kirkland; President John Sweeney and his lovely wife, Maureen; former Secretary of Labor John Dunlop; General President of the Ironworkers Union Joe Hunt; AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Richard Trumka; George Will, Paul Casey, Michael Eskew and Richard Picciotto representing the New York Firefighters—for joining us today. It’s so good to have all of you here.

I particularly want to extend a special welcome to Mrs. Irena Kirkland. You have been a friend—as your husband had been—to numerous secretaries of labor and many world leaders. We are honored to have you here today.

Since 1988, the Labor Hall of Fame has honored Americans who have had an historic impact on improving the quality of life for workers and their families in this country and around the world.

Twenty-four Americans are memorialized in the Hall. Today we will add two more individuals, and salute a very special group.

Both of the leaders we honor today were men ahead-of-their-times. They were visionaries whose ideas and ideals transcended the times in which they lived. They were on the cutting edge of change.

In their own way, each broke new ground for workers and in the process made tremendous contributions to our workforce, our economy, and the future of freedom itself.

Our first honoree, Lane Kirkland, was a visionary and a giant of the labor movement. He was a universally well-liked man, someone who could bridge political and ideological divides.

Lane Kirkland may be best remembered, however, for his contribution to world history. He realized, long before many others did, that the Iron Curtain could come down and freedom in Eastern Europe would prevail. His tireless advocacy on behalf of Poland’s Solidarity movement, while he was president of the AFL-CIO, became a critical part of history.

Solidarity broke the communist stranglehold over Poland, which was the first domino of the old Soviet Empire to fall. When Poland threw off communism, it gave hope to the rest of Eastern Europe, which soon followed suit. The world held its breath in collective disbelief, as we witnessed what many believed would never happen in our lifetimes. Lane Kirkland is one of the heroes of that triumphant struggle. I met former Solidarity leader and Polish President Walesa when I was Director of the Peace Corps, and he spoke of the courage of Lane Kirkland. And when Lane passed on, President Walesa said, “I never had enough opportunity to thank Lane Kirkland for his enormous contribution for our struggle for a better world.”

Indeed, there are never enough opportunities to thank the visionaries who fought for freedom.

On the domestic front, I knew Lane Kirkland as a steadfast member of the Board of Directors of the United Way when I served as President and CEO and was trying to rebuild public trust and confidence in that organization. He helped rebuild the United Way during a period of great crisis.

Our second honoree was also visionary and bridge builder. Jim Casey, the founder of United Parcel Service, proved that employers and employees could work together to build a strong company. He showed how good management and motivated workers can contribute to the economy, compete in the global marketplace, and make a good living for everyone in the company.

Jim Casey achieved the American dream—starting a small business with just $100—and he shared that dream, that success, with the workers who helped him build it.

Treating employees as partners was a new idea when Jim Casey formed his company. His was one of the first American employers to have a profit-sharing program. He was a truly innovative manager, and the results of his new style of management enhanced the lives of his employees, their families, and future generations of UPS workers. Casey’s legacy, the United Parcel Service, employs over one third of a million people today.

Jim Casey’s commitment to his community is carried forward today through the Annie E. Casey Foundation. This major philanthropy, named in honor of his mother, helps build better futures for disadvantaged children.

The sculpture we present today to the Casey and Kirkland families is an artful representation of the historic partnerships they each achieved in life. It symbolizes two strengths. When they overlap and complement each other they create a synergy more powerful than any one force could achieve on its own.

Lastly, it’s a particularly fitting memorial for our times because unity of purpose holds special meaning for all Americans since September 11^th.

We realized on that day that the great strength of our country is not our material wealth, but our character. It was the heroism of working men and women that inspired the nation and brought us together. You won’t find their names on the evening news, in the celebrity columns or the sports pages. But you can find them everyday on the police beat, in the fire station, on the construction site, and standing by in hospital emergency rooms. Workers like the Polish window washer trapped in an elevator at the World Trade Center, who saved everyone in that elevator thanks to his squeegee, his courage, and his ingenuity.

Risks were taken by hundreds more workers in the weeks and months that followed the attacks. Ground Zero in New York City was the most dangerous worksite in America. Yet it was cleared-in fact, the work was finished early—without any deaths and no serious injuries except a separated shoulder. The Pentagon was re-built more quickly than anyone dared to predict. The work at both sites was done tirelessly and respectfully, with unconditional love of country and a fierce determination to honor those who had made the ultimate sacrifice. I visited the workers at Ground Zero several weeks after September 11^th, and I shall always remember their dedication and resolve.

So today, as we honor two great leaders—Jim Casey and Lane Kirkland—we also honor all the workingmen and women heroes of September 11^th. I think Jim Casey and Lane Kirkland would be proud to stand with them, as symbols of the very best this country has to offer.

Thank you, and I hope you enjoy this special program.

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