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Archived News Release — Caution: Information may be out of date.
OPA News Release: [08/04/2003]
Contact Name: Ed
Frank
Phone Number: (202) 693-4676
U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao Honors Deceased
FOP Past National President Steve Young
PROVIDENCE, RI—U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao today
honored Fraternal Order of Police past National President Steve Young, a native
of Upper Sandusky, Ohio, with a posthumous award at the 56th
Biennial National Conference. With Young’s widow, Denise, in the audience,
Secretary Chao announced that Young, who passed away in January, would be
inducted into the U.S. Department of Labor’s Labor Hall of Fame this
September and that the RISE (Resources and Investments in Spousal Employment)
scholarship will be re-named the Steve Young Memorial Scholarship program.
“Steve was a giant in your organization: a national leader, a
friend to both the mighty and the lowly, and - above all else - a police
officer who cared most about making his home community of Marion, Ohio a safer
place to live,” said Secretary Chao. “Steve helped conceive and
develop the RISE scholarship program. That’s because he was not only a
great leader; but also a devoted family man who was deeply concerned about the
spouses and children of fallen officers.”
Young was chosen for induction due to his service to his community and
country and his commitment to his fellow officers and the civil rights of
citizens. He was the first police labor leader to reach out to the Justice
Department's Civil Rights division and work cooperatively with them to bring
equitable closure to civil rights investigations and ensure that communities
received the committed support and service they deserved. As a member of
President Bush's Homeland Security Advisory Council, Young played a vital role
in helping America meet its heightened security needs in the post 9-11 world in
a manner that respected both the civil rights of citizens and the needs of law
enforcement officers. He was also a strong and effective advocate for the
rights of workers being transferred to the new Homeland Security Department.
Young worked closely with the Administration and the Congress to ensure that
the needs of the nation were met without any workers being unduly
disadvantaged.
The Labor Hall of Fame honors posthumously those Americans whose
distinctive contributions to the field of labor have enhanced the quality of
life of millions yesterday, today, and for generations to come. Induction to
the Labor Hall of Fame is arrived at by a selection panel composed of the
Counselor to the Secretary, the Solicitor of Labor, the Assistant Secretary for
Policy and the Assistant Secretary for Administration and Management. Honorees
are chosen each year, and a formal induction ceremony is conducted at the U.S.
Department of Labor in Washington, D.C. Previous inductees include Samuel
Gompers, Cesar Chavez, A. Philip Randolph, John L. Lewis, Walter P. Reuther and
Lane Kirkland.
The RISE scholarship program was created in 2001. The $2 million program
helps spouses of fallen law enforcement officers provide for their families and
carry on with their lives. The money comes from the Department of Labor and
goes to the National FOP Foundation, to pay for education and job training,
such as community college certification courses. This assistance helps
surviving spouses upgrade their job skills and find good employment
opportunities so they can support themselves and their families.
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Archived News Release — Caution: Information may be out of date.
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