The publication is reproduced in full below:
RECOGNIZING LEWIS H. WEBBER, A TRUE WORKING-CLASS CHAMPION
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HON. BRIAN HIGGINS
of new york
in the house of representatives
Tuesday, August 24, 2021
Mr. HIGGINS of New York. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Lewis Webber, the President of Steelworkers Organization of Active Retirees (SOAR) Chapter 4-6, for a lifetime of fighting for the working class.
Lewis Webber was born days before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in December of 1941 so he was always ready for a good fight. Advocating for the workers at Bethlehem Steel was in his blood, as many of his relatives, including his father, were employed there. Growing up in a union household, he and his brother heard all the stories from their father about the strikes at Bethlehem Steel, including the famous 53-
day 1952 Steelworkers strike, ending with a victory for the hard-
working Steelworkers.
It was not a surprise that both Lewis and his brother would also go on to work many years of their lives at Bethlehem Steel. Lewis started working at Bethlehem Steel in October of 1964. He was a member in three separate unions: United Steelworkers, Truckdrivers Local Union, and the United Autoworkers. As a member of the United Steelworkers, he recalls fighting to make sure that the proper withholding was taken out of the employees checks. Later, in 1985, Mr. Webber officially won a grievance against Bethlehem Steel, providing 22 workers an additional $238 a week for two years, and a pension for the rest of their lives.
When Bethlehem Steel shut its doors, the Western New York community was devastated; however, that didn't stop Lewis Webber from continuing to fight for those who had worked there. He joined the Steelworkers Organization of Active Retirees (SOAR), Chapter 4-6 and put the skills he learned from earlier battles to work as he rose in the ranks of leadership becoming Trustee in 1997, Vice President in 2007, and President of the Steelworkers Organization of Active Retirees, Chapter 4-6 in 2008. There are 430 members of SOAR, Chapter 4-6 who rely on his leadership today.
Lewis Webber always says that you can never fight these battles alone. His number one supporter was his wife, Beverly who unfortunately passed away in 2011. She was also Secretary of the Steelworkers Organization of Active Retirees, Chapter 4-6. His children Rosemary, LuAnn, and Kathleen, grand-children, and great-grandchildren are always by his side, fighting the good fight.
Mr. Webber joined our fight over a decade ago to help former Bethlehem Steel employees receive compensation under the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program (EEOICP) and he continues to work with my office to ensure eligible retirees receive the benefits they deserve. Over $300 million has been paid out to workers and their families after they were exposed to radiation while working at Bethlehem Steel.
Lewis Webber offered many words of advice, including ``I am not doing this to make people millionaires; I am doing this to get them what they need to get by in this world. I am not doing this to help just the Steelworkers; I am doing this to help all Americans,'' and, ``Always fight using your brains, not your fists. At the end of the day your knowledge of the contract will be more likely to help you win the battle.'' His words demonstrate his commitment to his fellow workers and his lifetime of experience advocating for the interests of Steelworkers.
Many Bethlehem Steel retirees and their families who live in Western New York are better off because Lewis Webber has never stopped and will never stop fighting for them. Madam Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me in honoring the lifelong commitment that Lewis Webber has shown to the former employees of Bethlehem Steel, the greater Western New York community, and the United States as a whole.
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SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 167, No. 150
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