III 

109TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 198 

Commemorating the 25th anniversary of the 1980 worker’s strike in Poland 

and the birth of the Solidarity Trade Union, the first free and independent trade union established in the Soviet-dominated countries of 

Europe. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JULY 18, 2005 

Ms. MIKULSKI (for herself, Mr. VOINOVICH, Mr. DURBIN, Mr. SARBANES, Mr. 

LUGAR, Mr. DODD, Mr. FEINGOLD, Mr. KERRY, Mr. BIDEN, Mr. 

INOUYE, Mr. TALENT, Mrs. DOLE, Mr. CRAPO, Mr. SANTORUM, Mr. 

COBURN, Mr. BROWNBACK, Mr. OBAMA, Mrs. BOXER, and Mr. NELSON

of Florida) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 

Committee on the Judiciary 

RESOLUTION 

Commemorating the 25th anniversary of the 1980 worker’s 

strike in Poland and the birth of the Solidarity Trade 

Union, the first free and independent trade union established in the Soviet-dominated countries of Europe. 

Whereas, on May 9, 1945, Europe declared victory over the 

oppression of the Nazi regime; 

Whereas, Poland and other countries in Central, Eastern, 

and Southern Europe soon fell under the oppressive control of the Soviet Union; 

Whereas for decades the people of Poland struggled heroically 

for freedom and democracy against that oppression; 
2 

•SRES 198 IS

Whereas, in June 1979, Pope John Paul II, the former Cardinal Karol Wojtyla, returned to Poland, his homeland, 

and exhorted his countrymen to ‘‘be not afraid’’ of the 

Communist regime; 

Whereas, in 1980, the Solidarity Trade Union (known in Poland as ‘‘NSZZ Solidarnosc’’) was formed in Poland 

under the leadership of Lech Walesa and during the 

1980s the actions of its leadership and members sparked 

a great social movement committed to promoting fundamental human rights, democracy, and the independence 

of Poland from the Soviet Union (known as the ‘‘Solidarity Movement’’); 

Whereas, in July and August of 1980, workers in Poland in 

the shipyards of Gdansk and Szczecin, led by Lech 

Walesa and other leaders of the Solidarity Trade Union, 

went on strike to demand greater political freedom; 

Whereas that strike was carried out in a peaceful and orderly 

manner; 

Whereas, in August 1980, the Communist Government of Poland yielded to the 21 demands of the striking workers, 

including the release of all political prisoners, the broadcasting of religious services on television and radio, and 

the right to establish independent trade unions; 

Whereas the Communist Government of Poland introduced 

martial law in December 1981 in an attempt to block the 

growing influence of the Solidarity Movement; 

Whereas the support of the Polish-American community was 

essential and crucial for the Solidarity Movement to survive and remain active during that difficult time; 

Whereas the people of the United States were greatly supportive of the efforts of the people of Poland to rid them-
3 

•SRES 198 IS

selves of an oppressive government and people in the 

United States lit candles in their homes on Christmas 

Eve 1981, to show their solidarity with the people of Poland who were suffering under martial law; 

Whereas Lech Walesa was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 

1983 for continuing his struggle for freedom in Poland; 

Whereas the Solidarity Movement persisted underground during the period when martial law was imposed in Poland 

and emerged in April 1989 as a powerful national movement; 

Whereas, in February 1989, the Communist Government of 

Poland agreed to conduct roundtable talks with leaders 

of the Solidarity Movement; 

Whereas such talks led to the holding of elections for the National Assembly of Poland in June 1989 in which nearly 

all open seats were won by candidates supported by the 

Solidarity Movement, and led to the election of Poland’s 

first Prime Minister during the post-war era who was not 

a member of the Communist party, Mr. Tadeusz 

Mazowiecki; 

Whereas, the Solidarity Movement ended communism in Poland without bloodshed and inspired Hungary, Czechoslovakia, and other nations to do the same, and the activities of its leaders and members were part of the historic series of events that led to the fall of the Berlin 

Wall on November 9, 1989; 

Whereas, on November 15, 1989, Lech Walesa’s historic 

speech before a joint session of Congress, beginning with 

the words ‘‘We the people’’, stirred a standing ovation 

from the Members of Congress; 
4 

•SRES 198 IS

Whereas, on December 9, 1989, Lech Walesa was elected 

President of Poland; and 

Whereas there is a bond of friendship between the United 

States and Poland, which is a close and invaluable 

United States ally, a contributing partner in the North 

Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), a reliable partner 

in the war on terrorism, and a key contributor to international efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan: Now, therefore, 

let it be 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) declares August 31, 2005, to be Solidarity 

3 Day in the United States to recognize the 25th anni4 versary of the establishment in Poland of the Soli5 darity Trade Union (known in Poland as the ‘‘NSZZ 

6 Solidarnosc’’), the first free and independent trade 

7 union established in the Soviet-dominated countries 

8 of Europe; 

9 (2) honors the people of Poland who risked 

10 their lives to restore liberty in Poland and to return 

11 Poland to the democratic community of nations; and 

12 (3) calls on the people of the United States to 

13 remember the struggle and sacrifice of the people of 

14 Poland and that the results of that struggle contrib15 uted to the fall of communism and the ultimate end 

16 of the Cold War. 

Æ