SLS 17RS-1793 ORIGINAL
2017 Regular Session
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 113
BY SENATOR CARTER
CONDOLENCES. Expresses condolences on the death of William Sanchez.
1 A RESOLUTION
2 To express the sincere condolences upon the death of William J. "Billy" Sanchez.
3 WHEREAS, it is with deep regret and profound sorrow that the citizens of Louisiana
4 have learned of the death of William J. "Billy" Sanchez; and
5 WHEREAS, William Sanchez was born on August 1, 1943, in New Orleans,
6 Louisiana, where he graduated from the public school system; and
7 WHEREAS, after serving in the United States Air Force for four years as a Crash
8 Rescue Fire Fighter, Billy applied for employment with the New Orleans Fire Department
9 and was accepted on December 13, 1966, and, while serving with the department, he
10 enrolled and received the necessary credits for an Associate Science Degree in Fire
11 Technology from Delgado Community College; and
12 WHEREAS, Billy was married to the former Norma Mitchell and had two children,
13 Joseph Junis and William Jared; and
14 WHEREAS, he joined the New Orleans Fire Fighters' Association Local 632 when
15 he first joined the fire department and he first began serving the labor movement in
16 Louisiana in 1974 when he was named to the New Orleans Fire Fighters Local 632
17 Negotiating Committee; and
18 WHEREAS, Billy moved from there to the elected office of vice president of the Fire
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SLS 17RS-1793 ORIGINAL
1 Fighters Union in 1976 and he served in that capacity until his election to president of the
2 New Orleans Fire Fighters Association Local 632 in 1983; and
3 WHEREAS, as president of the New Orleans Fire Fighters Association, president of
4 the Professional Fire Fighters Association of Louisiana, and the International Association
5 of Fire Fighters state representative for Louisiana, he regularly negotiated collective
6 bargaining agreements, handled grievances, wrote various constitutions and by-laws,
7 organized new local unions, lobbied legislators at the Louisiana State Capitol as well as the
8 United States Congress in Washington, D.C. where he helped write laws as well as serving
9 as an instrumental part of their passage; and
10 WHEREAS, Billy had a long history with the New Orleans Fire Fighters Pension and
11 Relief Fund; he was first appointed to the fund's board of directors in 1975 to fill an
12 unexpired term and, in January 1976, he was elected to a full two-year term, and though
13 Billy was a newcomer to the board, he was elected to serve as its president, a function he
14 served for six years; and
15 WHEREAS, Billy also served on the Louisiana Fire Fighters Supplemental Pay
16 Board as its chairman, Louisiana State Fire Marshall's Advisory Council, Louisiana State
17 Fire Marshall's Round Table on Arson, Louisiana State Fire Marshall's Commission on Fire
18 Safety, Louisiana State Fire Marshall's Advisory Council on Fire Sprinklers, Louisiana State
19 University Fire Training College Advisory Council, Louisiana State University Fire Training
20 College Round Table on Fire Service Standards, Louisiana State Department of Labor
21 Worker's Compensation Advisory Commission, Louisiana State Emergency Response
22 Commission, Louisiana State Advisory Council for Employment Security, Louisiana State
23 Trade, Industry and Tourism Commission, Louisiana State Economical Development
24 Advisory Commission, Louisiana State Maritime Development Authority, and the Louisiana
25 State Very Special Arts Council; and
26 WHEREAS, as a community activist and civic leader, he served on the Louisiana
27 Council for Fiscal Reform, Public Affairs Research Council, Louisiana Coalition for Tax
28 Justice, Louisiana Coalition of Voter Registration Reform, Louisiana Democratic Party,
29 W.Y.E.S. Educational T.V. Advisory Council, Association of Louisiana Lobbyists as its
30 president, Rules Committee and Professional Ethics Committee; and
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SLS 17RS-1793 ORIGINAL
1 WHEREAS, Billy had a colorful history as a labor leader as a registered lobbyist for
2 the Louisiana AFL-CIO, a member of the A. Philip Randolph Institute, a member of the
3 Southern Federation of Professional Firefighters, a member of the International Association
4 of Fire Fighters serving as an elected member of the I.A.F.F. Committee on Human
5 Relations, Constitution and By-Laws Committee, Policy Committee, Resolutions Committee
6 and, as a New Orleans Fire Fighters' Association Local 632 member, Billy was chief
7 negotiator, vice president and president, and as a member of the Professional Firefighters of
8 Louisiana, Billy was elected as vice president and then president; and
9 WHEREAS, he was extremely active in the Louisiana AFL-CIO as a vice president,
10 executive board member, Public Employees Commission chairman and Louisiana AFL-CIO
11 COPE member and he served the Greater New Orleans AFL-CIO Central Body as an
12 Executive Board Member and Coalition of Fire Fighters' Chairman; and
13 WHEREAS, William J. "Billy" Sanchez had an extensive career in assisting,
14 directing, and creating better lives and benefits for fire fighters and working men and
15 women, was a tough fighter who never backed down, and will always be remembered and
16 surely be missed.
17 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana
18 does hereby express sincere condolences to the family and friends of William J. "Billy"
19 Sanchez; does hereby record for posterity his exemplary life of public service; and does
20 hereby extend best hopes and prayers for peace and comfort to all who mourn his passing.
21 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
22 family of William J. "Billy" Sanchez.
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Jerry J. Guillot.
DIGEST
SR 113 Original 2017 Regular Session Carter
Expresses condolences upon the death of William J. "Billy" Sanchez.
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