GST Warren
Mart Remarks
TRI-County
Labor Council Meeting
October 13,
2009
Thank you Tri-County Council of Labor for the invitation.
It’s a real pleasure for me to be here in Henderson, Kentucky today and help honor two people who have given so much to their community.
But then, there’s never been a shortage of service-minded individuals in this area.
Maybe it’s the water, but more likely it’s that many people in these parts grew up, like I did, without a whole lot in the way of what’s called “disposable income.”
Boy, if there was ever a definition of an oxymoron -- “disposable income” is it.
But what I mean is that success -- and even greatness -- has been measured by slightly different standards here than in New York, or Los Angeles or even Washington DC.
With all due respect to those great cities, maybe folks there don’t have the opportunity to get to know their neighbors’ names, or even how to go about helping each other.
It’s just easier in small towns to lend a hand because it is what our parents passed on to us, and their parents to them -- that’s the way it is in smaller communities -- we help each other.
And the people we’re here to honor tonight have spent a lifetime doing just that.
Jim Thomas survived incredible experiences during World War II and returned home to Henderson County and promptly started helping fellow veterans and their families.
He eventually became State Commander for Kentucky’s American POW Organization and provided invaluable support for returning soldiers as well as helping widows to get benefits they were entitled to.
Jim also helped get funding and support for the World War II memorial in Central Park.
These aren’t just things a soldier does for his fellow soldiers – it’s what a neighbor does for his friends.
And that’s really what we’re honoring here today -- a good man who believes in doing right by his neighbors, his family and his community.
Also, Sean West is the recipient of this year’s Youth Award, and he shows every indication of carrying on in the tradition of Jim Thomas.
Sean isn’t out of high school yet, but already he’s demonstrated an understanding that hard times can be harder on some than others.
His list of accomplishments will continue to grow, but already he’s demonstrating the kind of heart and leadership skills that any community would be proud to have.
He helped raise funds for the Cystic Fibrosis Association and volunteered at the local hospital. In total, Sean has logged more than 12,500 hours of service to the community and I can assure you, he wasn’t doing it for awards or honors.
It’s just the kind of person he is, and the kind of person this town has produced for generations.
It’s always good to see a tradition like community service going forward.
In the Machinists union, our community service work is closely connected to almost everything that we do.
To someone who is unfamiliar with how labor unions really operate, they may only see what the news reports: contract negotiations, organizing drives and occasionally, strikes.
But that misses the day-to-day work we do, and community service is a big part of that day-to-day work.
On a small and large scale, our members are involved in efforts to make their communities better places to live and work.
Companies and corporations may have the ability to donate thousands and even millions of dollars to causes and charities of their choosing.
But labor unions and the Machinists have something they don’t have – we have people like Jim Thomas and Sean West who will show up on a weekend -- or their day off and volunteer their backs, their brains and their hearts.
It can be large or small projects, and there are almost too many to mention.
When the Gulf Coast was ripped by hurricanes a couple of years ago, our members in Daleville, Alabama, loaded up trucks and drove right into the heart of the disaster area.
A couple years later, when a tornado dropped in on Daleville, our members on the Gulf Coast were right there to return the favor.
That’s how it works – that’s how it’s supposed to work.
It never ceases to amaze me how generous union members are when it comes to helping their neighbors.
And they can be neighbors across the street or across the country.
Last year, for example, after several firefighters in California were killed while battling a wildfire, our Community Service Department quickly collected and donated $30,000 for the families of those men and women.
Our day to day jobs as union representatives may focus on negotiating contracts and representing members, and that’s what we’re expected to do.
But it is our work in the community that defines us beyond our members and even beyond the labor community.
Few things return a larger investment in good will and real satisfaction.
It is people like Jim and Sean who set an example for the rest of us to follow and it is truly my pleasure to be here today to honor them.
Thank you again very much for what you’ve done for this community and on behalf of Machinists President Buffenbarger and all the 700,000 members of the IAM, the Building Trades, the Laborers, Steelworkers and other unions, congratulations on receiving this award today.
