Amo, Magaziner Honor Mr. George Nee on House Floor
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Gabe Amo (RI-01) and Representative Seth Magaziner (RI-02) spoke on the House Floor to honor Mr. George Nee, the President of the Rhode Island AFL-CIO. On October 11, 2024, Mr. Nee will step down from his position, concluding a storied career of more than 50 years advocating for the essential right to organize and fair labor protections for working people.
“For decades, George Nee has been a dedicated champion for working families like mine in Rhode Island,” said Congressman Gabe Amo. “As he prepares to hand over the reins, I thank George for his incredible career and his steadfast dedication to securing economic opportunity and advancing social justice in our state.”
“In addition to the hundreds of fights for fair contracts, better wages and better benefits, George boldly led the Rhode Island AFL-CIO in support of marriage equality and stood for common sense gun safety laws to protect workers,” said Rep. Seth Magaziner. “It is a real honor to recognize my friend George and to congratulate him on his impactful and tremendous career.”
AMO REMARKS AS DELIVERED
Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize a dedicated champion for Rhode Island’s working families — Mr. George Nee.
Last week, George publicly announced his retirement as President of Rhode Island AFL-CIO.
On October 11th, he will leave behind a towering legacy of over 50 years fighting for workers.
George has often said that there can be no democracy without a vibrant union movement.
It’s why he has dedicated his entire career to securing economic opportunity and advancing social justice.
As George prepares to hand over the reins, I’d like to honor his incredible story — rising from humble beginnings to become the face of organized labor in Rhode Island.
George Nee found his calling at Boston College in the 1960s. After meeting farm workers from California, he was inspired to make their cause his own.
So inspired, in fact, that he dropped out of school as a 21-year old to advocate for the cause full-time.
George’s early jobs involved coordinating Boston’s successful grape boycott and later a lettuce boycott in Rhode Island.
Thanks to his efforts, farm workers who spoke little to no English were able to secure better conditions and union contracts.
He slept in church parishes, on office floors, and even in an abandoned building on Brown University’s campus.
It wasn’t glamorous work. But George got the job done.
His successful efforts introduced him to key players in the labor movement, including a soft-spoken man from Delano — Mr. Cesar Chavez.
George was his driver and a bodyguard whenever he was in the area and in the mid-1970s, George joined Cesar and eight others in a pilgrimage across southern California.
Their courageous campaign to organize farm workers led to a tense standoff with growers armed with shotguns.
But that’s textbook George Nee. Never one to shy away from what’s right. Never one to back down from a fight.
So after returning to Rhode Island, George helped to organize an independent union for jewelry, clerical and health care workers.
This organization became the Service Employees International Union, or SEIU. Local 1199. George served as its founding president from 1976 to 1983.
Madam Speaker I have a personal connection to Local 1199. It’s the same union my mom proudly joined when she worked as a nurse in Rhode Island’s nursing homes.
In 1983, George was hired by our statewide AFL-CIO.
From staff representative to executive director to secretary-treasurer to his 15-year run as president, George has become synonymous with the union.
And thanks to his leadership, Rhode Island AFL-CIO and its affiliates are now more than 80,000 strong.
Our state consistently ranks as having one of the highest rates of union membership.
And despite changes to the economy and varying degree of appeal to organized labor, though it’s at its most popular right now, George has kept the faith. He’s been a tireless, relentless, devoted and a champion for workers and their families.
Above all, he has never lost sight of the ultimate goal — to make sure that working people have a seat at the table whenever decisions are being made.
I saw this firsthand when I worked as an advisor in the governor’s office in Rhode Island several years ago.
I’ll never forget the quintessential image of George at the Rhode Island State House. He was roaming the halls and making the case to legislators about the need for critical protections, critical investments.
George’s accomplishments are too many to name with the time I have remaining, but suffice to say that his dedication to our state will stand the test of time.
Madame Speaker, I’d like to conclude by quoting a portion of George’s retirement letter and I seek unanimous consent to insert it into the Congressional Record.
According to George, labor is “the strongest countervailing force that stands up to the power of the business community with the goal of having a level playing field.”
“We are truly the people’s lobby.”
Truly, the People’s Lobby. Never a bad cause to be fighting for.
For decades, George Nee has been a mentor and friend, a colleague, an advocate, and a fighter for the working people of Rhode Island.
He will no doubt be missed.
On behalf of the hardworking men and women of the State of Rhode Island I say, thank you George.
I yield back.
MAGAZINER REMARKS AS DELIVERED
Mister Speaker, I rise today to recognize the remarkable career of George Nee, a good friend, father, grandfather, and tireless advocate for working Rhode Islanders, who is retiring as the President of the Rhode Island AFL-CIO after four decades of service.
George has dedicated his life to improving the lives of working people and their families. At 21 years old, he left college to work for the farm workers union, helping organize Boston’s Grape Boycott in the late 1960s and the Lettuce Boycott in 1971.
He worked closely with renowned labor leader Cesar Chavez and saw firsthand how these boycotts improved the lives of workers.
George then created an independent union of clerical workers, health care workers and jewelry workers in 1976 that grew to more than 1500 members.
In 1983 he joined the Rhode Island AFL-CIO, working his way up from staff representative to president in 2009, leading more than 80,000 union members as the quintessential ‘happy warrior’ on behalf of working people in Rhode Island.
In addition to the hundreds of fights for fair contracts, better wages and better benefits, George boldly led the Rhode Island AFL-CIO in support of marriage equality and stood for common sense gun safety laws to protect workers.
It is a real honor to recognize my friend George and to congratulate him on his impactful and tremendous career.
I yield back.
