The publication is reproduced in full below:
HONORING THE RETIREMENT OF HARRY MELANDER
______
HON. BETTY McCOLLUM
of minnesota
in the house of representatives
Monday, June 14, 2021
Ms. McCOLLUM. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the distinguished career of Harry Melander on the occasion of his retirement as President of the Minnesota Building and Construction Trades Council. During his more than four decades of union leadership and public service, Harry has made a lasting impact through his work on behalf of Minnesota's working families. Additionally, Harry has represented the interests of Minnesotans through his service as a member of the Metropolitan Council, Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis Board, the St. Paul Port Authority Board, and the Washington County Planning Commission, among other community leadership roles.
Harry began his career as a union carpenter in 1973 and quickly rose as a leader on behalf of his fellow labor brothers and sisters, becoming president the Carpenters Local 87 Union. Later he became a business representative for the St. Paul Building Trades Council, then executive secretary in 1997. Harry focused his work on building relationships throughout the community. Reaching out to elected officials, business and community leaders and developers, he cultivated relationships that are still present today, ultimately increasing the number of jobs for Building Trades union members.
After becoming Executive Secretary of St. Paul Building Trades in 2005, Harry was soon faced with the monumental challenge of navigating the industry through the economic collapse of 2008 when some crafts lost up to 70 percent of their work. But thanks in large part to Harry's advocacy and work to build partnerships with the Minnesota Congressional Delegation, state leaders and the City of Saint Paul, the industry was able to keep working on major public projects including the restoration of Saint Paul's Union Depot as the Twin Cities' multimodal transit hub and construction of the Green Line Light Rail Transit.
Since Harry became the president of the Minnesota Building and Construction Trades Council in 2009, he has tirelessly promoted growth and advancement of affiliated unions, supported diversity and inclusion efforts in the construction industry, protected health and safety for all workers, and encouraged relationship building with employers, other labor organizations, and government officials. He has been a leader in the transformation toward clean energy jobs, and has navigated the council through the many challenges brought on in the past year by the COVID-19 pandemic and the civil unrest that enveloped the Twin Cities after the death of George Floyd.
Throughout it all, Harry has been an unwavering voice for Minnesota's working families, and a dedicated public servant. It has been my great pleasure to work closely with Harry on many projects and priorities over the years, and I know I speak for many in the community of Saint Paul and the East Metro when l say that he has been a tremendous asset to the labor movement. Madam Speaker, please join me in honoring the outstanding career of one of our state's most effective leaders, Harry Melander.
____________________
SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 167, No. 103
The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
House Representatives' salaries are historically higher than the median US income.
Alerts Sign-up