The publication is reproduced in full below:
HONORING HERMAN MACK WOODEN
______
HON. DWIGHT EVANS
of pennsylvania
in the house of representatives
Tuesday, July 26, 2022
Mr. EVANS. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor an influential member of the Philadelphia community, a leader and staunch advocate for employee rights. In 1989, Mr. Herman Wooden was elected to the position of Secretary Treasurer of Local 1776, making him the first African American constitutional officer and the chief financial officer of the union. Mr. Wooden held that position for 17 years, until his retirement in 2006. Mr. Wooden dedicated his life and career to improving the lives of working families.
Mr. Herman Mack Wooden was born on ay 31, 1945, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was the son of the late James Wooden and Josephine Pierce. Herman was educated in the Philadelphia public school system. He graduated from Simon Gratz High School and completed some college courses. Herman enlisted in the Army in September 1963. He was honorably discharged as a Sergeant in January 1966.
Mr. Wooden began his career with United Food Workers (UFCW) 1357, now Local 1776, in 1966 working as a clerk at the Wine & Spirit Shoppes, formerly known as the State Liquor Stores in Philadelphia, PA. While working as a clerk, he became heavily involved in the organizing effort to unionize the State store employees across the entire Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
In addition to working as a clerk, Mr. Wooden worked at the Philadelphia Parking Authority which ultimately led to him serving as Chair of the Philadelphia Parking Authority. Focusing on his passion, in 1971, Herman's effort to unionize state liquor store, pharmacy and supermarket employees was successful. He was very instrumental to the success of these industry workers campaigning to join Local 1357.
In 1975, Mr. Wooden was hired as a full-time staff member of Local 1357 as an organizer/representative. During his long career with the union, he held numerous positions that included Organizer, Representative, Political Representative and Lobbyist, Lead Representative, Servicing Director, and Executive Assistant to the President just to name a few. Furthermore, with all those positions, Herman continued to advocate for the rights of all working people and championed more diversity and inclusion in the labor movement. As noted above, in 1989, Mr. Wooden was elected to the position of Secretary Treasurer of Local 1776. In appreciation of his years of service and contribution to laborers' rights, Mr. Wooden was recognized by the Senate of Pennsylvania.
In retirement, Mr. Wooden continued his work as a board member for the UFCW Minority Coalition, United Latinos, and Women's Network. These are all constituency groups, with the UFCW, that advocate for more diversity and inclusion in the labor movement; which are two areas that were very important to Herman throughout his entire life. He continued to assist in the efforts to protect the jobs of those same liquor store union members, that he originally helped organize over 50 years ago, right up until his last days. Herman Wooden was a real-life example of what it meant to be a trade unionist.
Today, we mourn the passing of Mr. Herman Wooden which occurred on July 22, 2022.
____________________
SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 168, No. 124(1), Congressional Record Vol. 168, No. 124(2)
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