GENE G. FREELAND

[dcpony]

Former Marine, local labor leader, and SMU alumnus passed away recently...

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent ... 8905.html#

GENE G. FREELAND

12:00 AM CST on Tuesday, January 15, 2008
By JOE SIMNACHER / The Dallas Morning News
[email protected]

Gene G. Freeland devoted his adult life to helping people through the labor movement and political action.

From marching with Cesar Chavez to get better wages for Texas farm workers to campaigning for single-member council districts in Dallas, Mr. Freeland worked diligently as a union official and mediator for the state.

Mr. Freeland, 79, died Jan. 2 at Baylor University Medical Center of complications after surgery.

A memorial service will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday at St. Luke Community United Methodist Church.

"He always kept the justice for workers first and foremost in his mind, both public and private sector," said Becky Moeller, president of the Texas AFL-CIO. "He was the voice of the conscience of labor."

Despite his relatively low profile, Mr. Freeland was considered an elder statesman of Texas labor, Ms. Moeller said.

"He just did his job and worked and fought the battles for labor every day of his life," she said.

Born in Dallas, Mr. Freeland was a 1946 graduate of Sunset High School, where he played football with James W. Holbrook, a longtime Dallas labor leader.

"He was an all-around good guy," Mr. Holbrook said. "Anytime you needed something done, you knew who to call – Gene Freeland.

"He was always there with the help that we needed, whether it was a political campaign or going out to help the homeless, or the needy or members who were sick."

Mr. Freeland won employees the right to see their own doctors, rather than company physicians.

He also helped workers with private affairs. If a union member was behind on a credit union loan, Mr. Freeland would help the worker get back on his or her feet, said Mr. Holbrook, president of the Texas Political Legislative Committee, for the Communication Workers of America.

Victoria Michaud Freeland said that since the death of her husband of 25 years, she has heard many stories of things he did for people.

"He never told me those stories," Mrs. Freeland said. "I know there were so many people he helped individually ... even during the period when he was working for the state."

After his first tour of duty with the Marines, Mr. Freeland returned to Dallas, where he attended Southern Methodist University.

In 1949, he joined the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 69 and started a 16-year career working for Dallas Power & Light.

His service at DP&L was interrupted by his return to the Marines during the Korean War. He served from 1950 to 1952. In 1951, he was sent to Marine officer school in Quantico, Va.

After serving in Korea, Mr. Freeland began to rise through the union ranks.

He became a steward in 1958, was elected president of his local in 1960 and was business manager in 1962 and 1964.

In 1965, Mr. Holbrook suggested Mr. Freeland for the financial secretary and treasurer position for the Dallas AFL-CIO. He held that post from 1965 to 1979 and again from 1997 to 2003.

In 1985, State Treasurer Ann Richards appointed Mr. Freeland to be a labor representative with the Texas Employment Commission.

Mr. Freeland used his labor post as a platform to promote change.

His work supporting single-member Dallas council districts included an unsuccessful motion to add the plan to a Goals-for-Dallas agenda. Judge Sarah T. Hughes seconded his motion.

In September 1966, he marched to Austin with Mr. Chavez, the United Farm Workers leader, to get better wages for farm laborers.

He was also a campaign worker for liberal candidates. In 1968, he was Dallas co-chairman for Don Yarborough's gubernatorial campaign.

Mr. Freeland's community service included serving as vice president of the War on Poverty from 1965 to 1979 and on the executive board of the United Way from 1965 to 1979 and from 1997 to 2003.

Mr. Freeland was vice president of the Texas AFL-CIO from 1997 until his 2003 retirement.

In retirement, he had been active with the Dallas Peace Center, his wife said.

In addition to his wife, Mr. Freeland is survived by a son, Gene Freeland II of Hot Springs Village, Ark., and one grandchild.

Memorials may be made to the homeless in care of St. Luke Community United Methodist Church, 5710 East R.L. Thornton Freeway, Dallas, Texas 75223.