E1460 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks July 27, 2001 PERSONAL EXPLANATION internment of Japanese Americans during the CONCERN FOR THE AMERICAN Second World War. He later fought against WORKER HON. JO ANN EMERSON apartheid in South Africa with strikes and boy- OF MISSOURI cotts of South African Cargo, and he advo- HON. MICHAEL M. HONDA IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES cated for divestment of the union pension OF CALIFORNIA funds from businesses that trade and operate IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Friday, July 27, 2001 in South Africa. Friday, July 27, 2001 Mrs. EMERSON. Mr. Speaker, I was un- Harry Bridges and the longshoremen of the avoidably delayed at a meeting with the Presi- 1930’s will be memorialized on July 28th when Mr. HONDA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ex- dent and missed roll call votes 275 and 276 the City of San Francisco dedicates the plaza press my deep concern for the health and on July 26, 2001. Had I been present, I would in front of its historic Ferry building as the safety of the American Worker. Ergonomic hazards contribute to hundreds of thousands have voted no on roll call vote 275 and yes on Harry Bridges Plaza. He is truly deserving of of injuries each year, we must do more to ad- roll call vote 276. such a distinguished honor. Harry Bridges is dress the problem. Unfortunately, instead of f respected by the people of San Francisco, be- loved by the workers of this Nation, and rec- dealing with this serious problem, the Presi- PERSONAL EXPLANATION ognized as one of the most important labor dent with help from the majority party in the leaders in the world. House of Representatives, took the drastic step of overturning workplace safety regula- HON. GEORGE R. NETHERCUTT, JR. f tions that had been carefully studied for the OF WASHINGTON FIREFIGHTERS ANTHONY V. past 10 years. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES MURDICK AND SCOTT B. WILSON The ergonomic rule that was overturned Friday, July 27, 2001 earlier this year protected over 100 million Mr. NETHERCUTT. Mr. Speaker, last working women and men in this nation and HON. MELISSA A. HART covered over 6 million work sites around the evening, July 26, 2001, I was unavoidably de- OF PENNSYLVANIA country. These critically important ergonomic tained and missed Roll Call votes number IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES regulations would have prevented 4.6 million 280, 281, 282, 283, 284, and 285. Friday, July 27, 2001 Had I been present I would have voted ‘‘no’’ musculoskeletal disorders, including carpal on each of these votes. Ms. HART. Mr. Speaker, I take the floor tunnel syndrome and other ailments related to repetitive motion, force, awkward postures, f today to pay tribute to two fallen heroes. An- thony Murdick and Scott Wilson were volun- contact stress and vibration. IN HONOR OF HARRY BRIDGES teer firefighters in Unionville, Pennsylvania, Now the Bush Administration, in conjunction who drowned while trying to recover the body with its Labor Department, is going through HON. NANCY PELOSI of a kayaker in Slippery Rock Creek in Slip- the motions, dare I say ‘‘repetitive motions‘‘ of pery Rock Township, on April 8 of this year. having ‘‘field hearings’’ to review the effects of OF CALIFORNIA ergonomic related injuries. These problems IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Their deaths were the first in the line of duty in the 64-year history of the Unionville Volun- have been studied for the past 10 years, how Friday, July 27, 2001 teer Fire Company. Their lives and act of much more information does this administra- Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to bravery are being honored at a memorial serv- tion need to be convinced that this is a press- pay tribute to Harry Bridges, arguably the ice this Saturday, July 26 in Slippery Rock ing matter? I have seen recent testimony by Amy Dean, most significant labor leader of the 20th cen- Township. tury. He died on March 30, 1990 at age 88. I Firefighters Murdick and Wilson, both from Executive Officer of the South Bay AFL–CIO am here to celebrate his life and achieve- Butler, Pennsylvania, traveled similar paths in Labor Council given at one of the Labor De- ments on this day, the 100th anniversary of life. Both were 25 years old; both graduated partment’s ergonomic standard hearings. I be- his birth. from Butler High School; and both joined the lieve this testimony illustrates the real life con- After leaving his native Australia at age fif- Unionville Volunteer Fire Company as junior sequences of not protecting workers in this teen he spent several years as a merchant firefighters. Murdick and Wilson were also ex- nation from ergonomic hazards and so I in- marine, before he settled in San Francisco in perienced divers. However, the creek’s swift clude it in the Congressional Record for the in- 1920. In those days workers wages were ten current prevented the firefighters from resur- formation of my colleagues. dollars a week, with seventy-two hour work facing after their dive to retrieve the body of TESTIMONY OF AMY B. DEAN, EXECUTIVE OFFI- shifts. Work was dangerous and injuries were the drowned Ambridge man. CER SOUTH BAY AFL–CIO LABOR COUNCIL, not uncommon. Harry Bridges set out to im- In other ways, Murdick and Wilson’s lives JULY 24, 2001 prove the lives of workers everywhere. were very different. Murdick worked as a My name is Amy Beth Dean and I am the Executive Officer of the South Bay AFL–CIO As leader of the International Longshore- landscaper, and as a structural firefighter for Labor Council. The Labor Council represents men’s and Warehousemen’s Union (ILWU), the VA Medical Center in Butler. He was also more than 100,000 working families through- the most progressive union of the time, Harry taking classes to become a code-enforcement out Silicon Valley Bridges led the struggle for worker’s dignity. officer. Murdick is survived by his fiance´e, In this community, there are union mem- He called for the San Francisco General Strike Beth McCurdy, and their son, Talan. bers in every occupation. We work in manu- of 1934, which was suppressed with brutality, Wilson graduated from Indiana University of facturing. We work in construction. We work but Harry Bridges and the ILWU-Ied strike pre- Pennsylvania’s criminal justice training pro- in health care. We look after young children, vailed, and to this day, workers have benefited gram. He worked with the Butler Ambulance We’re even the people who keep this building clean. from safe work conditions, health care bene- Service, served as a 911-operator, and also But far more important than any of those fits, and eight hour work days. Today we can served as the director of the ambulance au- differences in the work we do, are the values all hold our heads high and be proud of Harry thority in Wetzel County. At the time of his we all share—values that begin with the be- Bridges’ legacy. death, Wilson was an instructor at the Butler lief that each of us has the right to a safe Harry Bridges’ passionate support for work- County Area Vocational Technical School. Wil- and healthy workplace. That’s why I’m here ers rights made him the enemy of the cor- son is survived by his wife, Tracy, and son, today. A number of years ago a British journalist porate titans and anti-union government offi- Cole. once wrote that, ‘‘in politics, being ridicu- cials. His persecution led to his attempted de- The act of courage and commitment that lous is more damaging than being extreme.’’ portation, but justice prevailed. Supreme Court these men showed is extraordinary. Without By destroying OSHA’s ergonomics stand- Justice Frank Murphy praised Bridges stating, fear or hesitation, Murdick and Wilson dove ard—and then stacking these forums in favor ‘‘Seldom if ever in the history of this Nation into the swift waters of Slippery Rock Creek, of big business—the Bush Administration has there been such a concentrated, relent- as their job called upon them to do. On Satur- has demonstrated itself to be both. And less crusade to deport an individual simply be- day, these two men will be honored for their American workers are paying for George Bush’s extremism every single day. cause he dared to exercise the freedoms valiant act by family, friends, fellow firefighters, Since George Bush and the Republicans in guaranteed to him by the constitution’’. and members of the community of Slippery Congress killed this safety standard, more Harry Bridges successfully fought for the in- Rock Township. I join them in their tribute and than 500,000 workers have suffered carpal tegration of segregated unions. In addition, he hope that others find inspiration in their sense tunnel syndrome and other injuries. That’s fought for women’s rights and he opposed the of duty and selfless service just as I have. one more worker every 18 seconds.
VerDate 11