RESOLUTION FOR BOARD MEETING OF JANUARY 23, 2020
Title
MEMORIAL RESOLUTION sponsored by the Board of Commissioners celebrating the life of William E. Dugan
Body
WHEREAS, William E. Dugan is best known as the former president of the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150 (Union); and
WHEREAS, Mr. Dugan is credited with more than doubling the size of the Union membership while serving as president. Union membership increased from approximately 10,000 workers in 1986 to over 23,000 in 2008; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Dugan grew up in West Virginia. He enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1951 and served four years in Korea with the 82nd Airborne Division. After returning from service, Mr. Dugan moved to Chicago in 1955 and joined Local 150 as an equipment operator; and
WHEREAS, in 1965, Mr. Dugan was appointed as a business agent for the Union and in 1986 he was elected as the Union’s president and business manager; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Dugan is credited with introducing the idea of administrative dues to fund the Union, assisting in the negotiation of significant wage and benefit increases in Heavy Highway and Building Agreements, and securing the first substantial multi project labor agreement for the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority; and
WHEREAS, in addition to serving as the president of the Union, Mr. Dugan served on the Executive Board of the Chicago Federation of Labor and General Vice President of the International Union of Operating Engineers; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Dugan coordinated the funding for a training site for the Union in Wilmington, which was named in his honor when it opened in 2008; and
WHEREAS, after retiring as president of the union in 2008, Mr. Dugan moved to Hancock, Maryland; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Dugan was an avid football fan, fisherman, hunter, and all-around outdoorsman; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Dugan is survived by his wife of 68 years, Dorothy, his daughters Billy Jean Fischer and Lisa Weller, his grandsons Brandon William Fischer and Luke Weller, his great granddaughter Natalie Fischer, great grandson Brandon William Fischer Jr., and a multitude of other family members, friends, and loved ones; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that we, the Board of Commissioners of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, on behalf of ourselves and staff, do hereby extend our condolences to the family of William E. Dugan; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this Resolution be spread upon the permanent Record of Proceedings of the Board of Commissioners of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago and that a copy of same, suitably engrossed, be presented to the family of William E. Dugan.
Dated: January 23, 2020