August 26, 2009

Statement of UFCW International President Joe Hansen on the Passing of Senator Edward Kennedy

(Washington, DC) — “Senator Kennedy was an unwavering champion for workers across the country.  His passion, his vision and his devotion to the issues that matter ensured that working men and women had a voice in the halls of Congress. His commitment, his courage and his conviction brought dignity and opportunity to working families, to minorities and to recent immigrants. Time and time again, decade after decade, he stood with the UFCW in our efforts to improve the lives of our members.  He stood with us in the fight for equity and equality and justice.

“There will never be another Senator Ted Kennedy, but as he so eloquently and passionately said at the Democratic National Convention in 1980, ‘the hope still lives, and the dream shall never die.’ It is now our mission to ensure that the work Senator Kennedy dedicated his life to goes on and that the dream he fought so hard for never dies—The dream of health care for every American, of a nation that upholds its rich and vibrant immigrant heritage, and where we embrace our diversity and put aside our differences in the name of building a more perfect union.

“Today, we mourn the loss of the Lion of the Senate. Tomorrow, let us redouble our efforts in the causes that he cared so much about. That is how we pay tribute to this amazing man. That is how we respect what he accomplished throughout his life, and that is how we honor his legacy.”