Good morning, I am Dennis Gannon, President of the Chicago Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO representing over 500,000 union members in Chicago and Cook County.
And it is my honor to call the 25th AFL-CIO Constitutional Convention to order! (Bang Gavel)
I would like to thank President Sweeney and the AFL-CIO Executive Committee for selecting Chicago as the host city.
I would also like to thank the Soul Children of Chicago for their wonderful performance this morning.
This is one of the most celebrated youth choirs in the world.
Under the direction of Mr. Walt Whitman, they have performed on the international stage and have produced five albums.
Their Mission is to “Educate the Minds, Elevate the Spirits and Illuminate the Souls of our Youth.”
Before I begin my opening remarks, I would like to take a moment to salute my fellow AFL-CIO central labor council leaders.
It is often said that all politics is local.
I would add that all union activity is local.
And the central labor councils, as local entities, play a vital role in the AFL-CIO.
CLC’s represent the front line of the labor movement and our political, organizing and mobilization efforts make a positive difference in the lives of millions of workers across the country.
Whether it is testifying against Wal-Mart, rallying against Social Security privatization, lobbying to create jobs, or walking the picket lines, my fellow CLC leaders should all be applauded for their leadership, commitment and dedication to working families.
I would now like to welcome the AFL-CIO delegates to one of the greatest union cities in the nation.
It is only fitting that we gather here in Chicago, the home of more local AFL-CIO chartered “one’s” than anywhere else in the nation.
So many of the local unions of your Internationals were founded on the doorsteps of our great city including:
The Bakery and Confectionary Union
The Boilermakers Union
The Carpenters Union
The Chicago Teachers Union
The Hotel and Restaurant Employees Union
The Iron Workers Union
The Laborers Union
and the Service Employees Union.
The Chicago Federation of Labor also enjoys a celebrated history as we have been around since 1896.
And when you mention Chicago to anyone around the world, it’s labor that most often comes to mind, since we are the birthplace of May Day and the workers’ struggle for the eight-hour day.
If fact, Chicago union members have overcome many struggles that became watershed victories for the labor movement including the Haymarket Tragedy, the Great Pullman Strike, and the Memorial Day Massacre.
We are also true pioneers in the labor movement creating the first and only labor-owned and operated radio station in the country -- WCFL, which first broadcast right here at Navy Pier.
And we also founded the Amalgamated Trust and Savings Bank, which has since become Chicago’s sole bank dedicated to labor.
That is just a sampling of our labor past in Chicago.
But let’s now shift our focus to labor today.
I can tell you without a doubt that the Chicago Labor Movement is stronger than ever!
Our membership numbers continue to rise above the national average.
Our city skyline is proudly built by 100% union labor.
We continue to achieve some of the best project labor agreements in the nation with the construction of McCormick Place, Soldier Field, U.S. Cellular Field and the recent expansion projects at Midway and O’Hare International Airports.
And it’s not just our building trades that make Chicago the city that works.
Our public employees and service sector members have thrived here in our city by lifting the standards for working families and the communities in which they reside.
But it is our future that we most look forward to in Chicago.
A future that includes engaging in a political mobilization program unlike anything we have ever undertaken.
We intend to elect not just friends of labor into office but to elect proud union members to better serve and protect working families in our wards, our counties and our state.
We already have the support of our affiliates to make a real difference in Chicago and Cook County elections and intend to become a vital force that will never again be taken for granted in the political arena.
We also look to our future in building the first ever “house of labor” in Chicago that will bring together the CFL, the Illinois AFL-CIO, the Midwest AFL-CIO and the Chicago Building and Construction Trades Council under one roof.
Whatever happens at this convention and whatever proposals are accepted or rejected by the delegates, I can assure you that all of us in the Chicago Labor Movement will do everything in our power to keep working families united.
We owe it to our 500,000 union members in Cook County.
We owe it to our over 1 million members in the state of Illinois.
And we owe it to the 13 million workers represented by the AFL-CIO.
On behalf of the entire Chicago Federation of Labor and our Executive Board, I would like to thank you again for coming to Chicago and hope that we all leave this convention stronger than ever.
Best wishes and please take the time to enjoy our world-class city built and maintained by world-class union members.
It is now my privilege to turn the program over to two union officers who always put working families first—AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Richard Trumka and AFL-CIO Executive Vice President Linda Chavez Thompson.
