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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Linda Chavez-Thompson, executive vice president |
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emerita of the AFL-CIO, has dedicated herself to America's workers |
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for more than 40 years, forging new pathways for the labor movement; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, A second-generation American of Mexican descent, |
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Ms. Chavez-Thompson was born and raised in the Lubbock area; she |
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began laboring long hours in the fields with her father at the age |
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of 10; her formal education ended after the ninth grade, when family |
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circumstances forced her to work full-time picking cotton and |
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cleaning houses; she never ceased to study, however, and her |
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extraordinary career began at 24, when a family friend who could not |
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speak Spanish hired her as his bilingual secretary at the local |
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chapter of the Laborers International Union; her skill and keen |
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intelligence led to a job overseeing tornado relief efforts for the |
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AFL-CIO in 1971, and later that year she was hired by the American |
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Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees; and |
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WHEREAS, Ms. Chavez-Thompson rose through the ranks as an |
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organizer and went on to serve with great distinction as an |
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international vice president of the AFSCME; she also served as |
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national vice president of the AFL-CIO Labor Council for Latin |
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American Advancement; in 1993, she was elected as a vice president |
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of the executive council of the national AFL-CIO, and two years |
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later she was elected executive vice president of the federation, |
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becoming the first person of color to hold one of its three highest |
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offices; and |
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WHEREAS, During her 12 years as the highest ranking woman in |
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organized labor, Ms. Chavez-Thompson helped reinvigorate the |
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movement by using innovative methods to connect with new |
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constituencies, including women, minorities, and immigrants; |
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demonstrating profound compassion for those facing discrimination |
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and exploitation, she focused on civil rights, human rights, and |
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community issues and built valuable coalitions with outside |
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organizations and religious groups; her endeavors have been |
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recognized with such accolades as the 2008 Farmworker Justice |
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Award, a Mother Jones Award from the Coalition of Labor Union Women, |
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and the 2003 Latina of the Year Award from CATALINA magazine and |
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Hispanas Organized for Political Equality; and |
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WHEREAS, This dynamic Texan retired to San Antonio in |
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September 2007 to spend more time with her children and |
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grandchildren, but she remains active as executive vice president |
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emerita, as chair of the AFL-CIO Immigration Committee, and as |
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president of the Trade Union Confederation of the Americas; in |
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2008, she led an AFL-CIO fact-finding delegation to Colombia and |
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aided the federation's campaign to protect the voting rights of |
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Hispanic citizens; moreover, she serves as a vice chair of the |
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Democratic National Committee and as the labor representative to |
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the Public Board of Trustees of the San Antonio Transit Authority; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, For more than four decades, Linda Chavez-Thompson |
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has been a bold and effective champion of American workers; her |
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efforts to combat social and economic injustice have helped |
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countless people realize their dreams of a better life; now, |
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therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 81st Texas |
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Legislature hereby commend Linda Chavez-Thompson for her |
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remarkable contributions to workers' issues and civil and human |
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rights and extend to her sincere best wishes for continued success; |
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and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for Ms. Chavez-Thompson as an expression of high regard by |
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the Texas House of Representatives. |
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McClendon |
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Alvarado |
Gonzales |
Miller of Comal |
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Anchia |
Gonzalez Toureilles |
Miller of Erath |
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Aycock |
Gutierrez |
Morrison |
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Branch |
Harper-Brown |
Ortiz, Jr. |
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Brown of Kaufman |
Hartnett |
Otto |
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Brown of Brazos |
Heflin |
Parker |
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Callegari |
Hilderbran |
Pena |
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Cohen |
Howard of Fort Bend |
Quintanilla |
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Coleman |
Howard of Travis |
Raymond |
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Craddick |
Jackson |
Rodriguez |
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Crownover |
Keffer |
Sheffield |
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Davis of Harris |
King of Parker |
Smith of Tarrant |
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Davis of Dallas |
King of Taylor |
Smith of Harris |
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Deshotel |
King of Zavala |
Smithee |
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Driver |
Kleinschmidt |
Solomons |
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Eiland |
Leibowitz |
Thompson |
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Elkins |
Lucio III |
Turner of Tarrant |
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England |
Madden |
Turner of Harris |
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Farias |
Mallory Caraway |
Veasey |
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Farrar |
Marquez |
Villarreal |
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Flores |
Martinez Fischer |
Walle |
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Gallego |
McReynolds |
Zerwas |
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______________________________ |
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Speaker of the House |
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I certify that H.R. No. 127 was adopted by the House on |
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February 10, 2009, by a non-record vote. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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