Rex Hardesty - AFL-CIO Chief Spokesman, 67 - January 9, 2005

He moved to Washington in the mid-1960s to work for the Washington Star on the sports copy desk. He worked briefly for the Communications Workers of America before he joined the AFL-CIO in 1969 as editor of its monthly journal, moving up to director of information in 1987.


"He was the labor movement's encyclopedia of funny stories -- he would tell me stories about incidents which I had been a participant in 20 years earlier and had forgotten about," Donohue said. Mr. Hardesty was born in Tulsa and lost his left eye in a childhood accident. He spent six years studying to be a Roman Catholic priest. He attended Benedictine Heights College and the University of Tulsa before turning to journalism in the sports department of the Tulsa World.

Washington Post Obit
IBEW Obit
Quote: "The news media have decided that labor is irrelevant and no longer a critical beat. To the extent that hurts working America, it is a tragedy."

Photo: Washington Post
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