The Skyline's the Limit

Chicago Labor Council welcomes Convention with open arms- June 17-21, 1996.

"Look at that skyline. That skyline is 100 percent union built!" labor leader Don Turner told delegates in his welcome. "The hotels you're staying at, those are union hotels!"

Turner welcomed AFSCME delegates to Chicago as president of the Chicago Federation of Labor and Industrial Union Council, AFL-CIO. The 300 affiliated local unions represent half a million members.

Chicago is a union town, Turner said, and one of the reasons it stays that way is AFSCME's support for the Chicago labor council. "We are only as strong as our affiliated locals-and AFSCME has some of our strongest locals," he said. "Thank you, AFSCME, for leading the fight for a better America."

Turner was introduced by Stephen Culen, who has since retired as International vice president from the Illinois district. Amidst applause and cheering from delegates, Culen welcomed conventioneers to Chicago, "on behalf of the more than 72,000 university, county, city, school district, state and hospital employees our union represents in the Prairie State."