Rashida Tlaib: “In his 22 years of service as the president of the American Federation of Teachers of Michigan, David Hecker has been…”

“In his 22 years of service as the president of the American Federation of Teachers of Michigan, David Hecker has been consistent in his commitment to working families, our teachers, and our education system, especially public education. Mr. Hecker became a member of AFT in 1977 and has served as the AFT president in Michigan since 2001. AFT Michigan, Madam Speaker, has 35,000 members who are educators and healthcare providers working in K- 12 as well as intermediate schools, community colleges, universities, and hospitals across the State of Michigan. During his tenure, AFT Michigan has organized many new locals representing thousands of new members, particularly in higher education and healthcare. Mr. Hecker is a lifelong labor leader committed to working families and worker rights and building a stronger labor movement. For many years, David has been a member of the Michigan State AFL-CIO and Metro Detroit's AFL-CIO executive committees. I am blessed to call David a friend. Please join me in recognizing his 22 years of public service and commitment to improving the lives of teachers across Michigan as we wish him well in his retirement. {time} 1015 congratulating steve densmore on his retirement”