Title
To honor, recognize, and celebrate the 100th Birthday of Activist Ms. Marie Clarke on June 27th, 2015.
Body
WHEREAS, Ms. Clarke’s journey began in 1946 when she worked as a mechanic for aircraft manufacturer Curtiss-Wright. She was one of thousands of women who worked in factories while men left to serve in the military; after the men returned, she was one of few minority women to keep their jobs; and
WHEREAS, during her time as a factory worker, Ms. Clarke helped organize and recruit members into the United Auto Workers Union; one of her first actions addressed the disparity between the male and female washroom conditions. Ms. Clarke was successful in pushing management to provide equal washroom facilities; and
WHEREAS, Ms. Clarke has dedicated her life to working for equal rights in the workplace and has distinguished herself during her long career with both the AFSCME and United Auto Workers Local 927 families; and
WHEREAS, with her outstanding contributions to the Ohio labor movement, Ms. Clarke was inducted into the Ohio Women’s Hall of Fame by Governor Richard Celeste in 1986; and
WHEREAS, Ms. Clarke was also instrumental in founding Columbus City Workers Local 1632 and served on its executive board. To this day, her activism lives on as Ms. Clarke is an active member of AFSCME Retiree Chapter 1184; and
WHEREAS, with the many great works, efforts, and talents of Ms. Clarke, she has been recognized by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services as one of Ohio’s foremost black female labor leaders; now, therefore
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
To honor, recognize, and celebrate the 100th Birthday of Activist Ms. Marie Clarke on June 27th, 2015, and recognize her nearly 70 years of service to the Columbus and Central Ohio communities.