October 18, 2006. On Friday night, Tommy Burke (right) of Local 391 in North Carolina was inducted into the Rank and File Hall of Fame for 30 years of dedication to the movement, and 20 years of work on pension justice. He was presented the award by Frank Bryant (left) of Local 391.

Burke told the crowd, “I have been fighting the fight a long time. We members in North Carolina formed a Pension Improvement Committee in 1986, back when I had never heard of TDU. In 1989 I got hold of a Convoy Dispatch and read that another pension improvement committee was trying to do the same thing we were.

“I called TDU and arranged a meeting in North Carolina and I think it was one of the biggest meetings that TDU had ever had. From there on we fought the fight through our committees, through TDU, and it resulted in all the benefit improvements of the nineties.

“That did not happen without TDU. Everybody needs to recognize that. I didn’t expect this award tonight, but I do appreciate it.”