[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 6]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 8541]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 HONORING CHUCK APPLEBY ON HIS RETIREMENT FROM THE CENTRAL AND EASTERN 
                 CONNECTICUT CARPENTER'S UNION LOCAL 24

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JOE COURTNEY

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 1, 2011

  Mr. COURTNEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Chuck Appleby of 
Waterford, Connecticut upon his retirement as the President and 
Business Manager of the Central and Eastern Connecticut Carpenter's 
Union Local #24.
  For 31 years, Chuck has been an active member of Local 24, the last 
11 of which he has served as the President and Business Manager. In 
communities across Connecticut, Chuck has led the fight for fair wages, 
good jobs and equal treatment for his fellow carpenters and those in 
the labor fight. Chuck also served in leadership positions for the 
Southeast Connecticut Labor Council and the New England Regional 
Council of Carpenters Executive Board.
  Chuck is also an active member of his community. From the Gemma Moran 
food bank to Three Rivers Community College to the Fallen Veterans 
Foundation and the Ocean Beach Boardwalk rehabilitation project, Chuck 
has volunteered his time, his talents, and his treasure to make a 
difference in the region.
  For those who know him, Chuck has always been a staunch Democrat, 
serving previously on the Waterford Democratic Town Committee and as a 
delegate to the state Democratic convention. There is not a Democratic 
office holder or candidate in our region that has not been helped by 
Chuck in his or her quest for victory on Election Day. As I can attest, 
he has personally crafted and assembled thousands of campaign signs in 
every nook and cranny of eastern Connecticut on behalf of the 
candidates he has supported. Most famously, Chuck has organized pre-
debate rallies at the Garde Theater in New London, Connecticut, now a 
rite of passage for any Democrat whose name appears on the ballot in 
our state. Chuck's service to working families is based on a much 
deeper and caring basis than simply party loyalty. I will always 
remember Chuck's passionate speech at a Chamber of Commerce breakfast 
that, ``The best social program ever devised is a job--a job with 
decent wages and benefits!'' As our Nation grapples with the enormous 
challenges ranging from health care, the deficit, the environment and 
the strains of family life, Chuck's shrewd wisdom offers a beacon of 
hope and success.
  While Chuck may be retiring from his post as President and Business 
Manager of Local 24, I imagine his retirement will not be one of quiet 
solitude or rest. Chuck is the embodiment of the men and women who make 
up America's labor movement--dedicated, hard working and always looking 
forward to the next fight to improve the lives of the American middle 
class. Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me in congratulating 
my friend and great American Chuck Appleby on a lifetime of service.

                          ____________________