Recognizing Arthur Coia of Rhode Island

Floor Speech

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Mr. AMO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a recently passed giant of the labor movement in Rhode Island and around the country, Arthur Coia.

Labor was the heart and soul of Arthur Armand Coia. He was born into a family of labor leaders. As a member of Local 271 in Providence since his teenage years, he worked in construction while going to Providence College and attending law school. He was always close to his union roots.

A union man through and through, he dedicated his life to expanding workers' organizing rights. He fought for the right to earn a fair paycheck and have dignity and safety on the job.

He started out as the business manager of the Rhode Island Laborers' District Council and rose to become the general president of LiUNA and vice president of the AFL-CIO.

Arthur worked tirelessly to make life better for the working men and women of our country. He helped found the Laborers' Health & Safety Fund of North America, transforming job-site safety, and the Laborers- Employers Cooperation and Education Trust, helping union labor train workers and expand market share.

There is no doubt that his work saved lives, prevented accidents, and helped union labor gain new opportunities in the 21st century.

Arthur was not only a labor leader, he was also a dedicated father, grandfather, husband, and friend. My thoughts are with his family at this incredibly difficult time.

I hope they, as I do, take heart in his service to the movement and to others. His contributions will not be forgotten. recognizing alan hassenfeld of rhode island

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Mr. AMO. Mr. Speaker, Alan Hassenfeld, another titan in Rhode Island, spent his life bettering the lives of countless individuals in our country and around the world.

Born in Providence in 1948, Alan dedicated his professional life to bringing joy to generations of children as the CEO of his family's company, Hasbro Toys.

Alan helped the company acquire quintessential children's brands like Play-Doh, Monopoly, and Nerf, and took their iconic tuber, Mr. Potato Head, to new heights in the Hollywood film ``Toy Story.''

Growing up in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, I have fond memories of Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head statues popping up across Rhode Island. Under Alan's guidance, Hasbro teamed up with the State of Rhode Island for a tourism campaign featuring the whimsical statues of the spud made by local artists highlighting the Ocean State's role as the birthplace of fun.

However, it was outside the toy chest that Alan's incredible civic spirit and unmatched generosity shone. His contributions to Rhode Island's civic life were numerous and impactful.

Alan spearheaded a political ethics reform movement, pioneered concepts of social responsibility at the corporate level, and worked to end the use of child labor in toy production supply chains. He invested in generations of public sector leaders. He founded the Hassenfeld Child Health Innovation Institute at Brown University to improve family mental health and created RI For Gun Safety to promote commonsense gun reform.

Perhaps most notably, he provided the vision and the founding donation for Hasbro Children's hospital in Providence.

Thanks to Alan, Rhode Island is home to a world-class pediatric healthcare facility providing for the specialty and emergency needs of the littlest New Englanders.

Alan was a philanthropist, businessman, and reformer, but, most important, he was a dear friend, husband, stepfather, uncle, and granddad.

Before taking this office, and once sworn in, Alan provided me wise counsel sharing pragmatic, solutions-oriented advice on how to be of service and make change.

Alan exemplified community spirit and dedication to others, business acumen, incredible generosity, friendship, and, of course, leadership. He represented the best of Rhode Island, and he will be truly and deeply missed.

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