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To Congratulate Walter Deems for Receiving the 2018 George Meany Award
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WHEREAS, The George Meany Awards Banquet, the largest labor recognition of its kind in the country is a night for the Central Ohio AFL-CIO and the United Way Community Services Department to recognize local business and labor leaders who have given outstanding volunteer service to the community; and
WHEREAS, The George Meany Award, named after the late George Meany, former President of the national AFL-CIO, is presented by the Central Ohio AFL-CIO to a labor person for outstanding leadership and support of health, welfare and recreation services to the Central Ohio Community; and
WHEREAS, Walter has been an active union member of the United Steel Workers Union for over forty years. He began his career at the Metal Container Company in 1977, and as an active member of the USW Local 2173, Walter held the positions of Committee President, Vice President, and Chairman of the Workers Compensation, Civil Rights, Organizing, Grievance, and Political Action Committees; and
WHEREAS, even after retirement, Walter is an active member of the labor movement. He has continued his work with United Steelworkers, and he is currently a USW representative on the Executive Board of the Central Ohio Labor Council AFL-CIO, the Central Labor Council Community Service Committee, and sits on the Central Area Labor-Management Committee; and
WHEREAS, Walter has been instrumental in the continued success of the Labor Shares, Cares Food Program that provides food for families during the Winter holiday; and
WHEREAS, Walter has dedicated his entire life to justice and dignity for workers, both union and non-union in, in the workplace and in the community. He has been their champion and the Labor Movement in Ohio has benefitted tremendously from his lifetime of activism; now therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS: That we hereby congratulate Walter Deems as the 2018 George Meany Award recipient