John White (unionist)
Encyclopedia
John Phillip White was a miner
and president of the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) from 1911 to 1917.
He was born in Coal Valley,Rock Island county, Illinois, in 1870 and went to work in the mines as a teenager before moving with his family to Iowa
. He joined the United Mine Workers and was eventually elected District 13 secretary-treasurer in 1899. He became the district president from 1904 to 1907 and again from 1909 to 1912. He was elected an UMWA international vice president in 1909, serving for two years.
He was elected president of UMWA in 1911 after pledging to unite the union's warring factions. It is generally concluded that he was successful.
During his presidency, the Colorado Coal Strike of 1913-1914 and Ludlow Massacre
occurred.
He is generally considered a progressive UMWA president. He won UMWA approval of the six-hour day, a ban on the employment of anyone under the age of 16, pensions, and workers' compensation. Although he was a political conservative, he forced through an amendment to the UMWA constitution forbidding membership in the National Civic Federation
.
White is well-known for two actions which eventually determined the course of the labor movement in the United States. In 1912, he forced delegates of the UMWA convention to approve a resolution asking the American Federation of Labor
to endorse industrial unionism
. He also appointed John L. Lewis
to be UMWA's chief statistician, a position which would allow Lewis to launch his own successful, historic run for the union presidency.
He resigned from UMWA in 1917 to serve as a consultant to the National Fuel Commission during World War I
.
After the war, he worked as a field representative for UMWA. He died in Des Moines, Iowa
, in 1934.
Coal mining
The goal of coal mining is to obtain coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content, and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from iron ore and for cement production. In the United States,...
and president of the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) from 1911 to 1917.
He was born in Coal Valley,Rock Island county, Illinois, in 1870 and went to work in the mines as a teenager before moving with his family to Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
. He joined the United Mine Workers and was eventually elected District 13 secretary-treasurer in 1899. He became the district president from 1904 to 1907 and again from 1909 to 1912. He was elected an UMWA international vice president in 1909, serving for two years.
He was elected president of UMWA in 1911 after pledging to unite the union's warring factions. It is generally concluded that he was successful.
During his presidency, the Colorado Coal Strike of 1913-1914 and Ludlow Massacre
Ludlow massacre
The Ludlow Massacre was an attack by the Colorado National Guard on a tent colony of 1,200 striking coal miners and their families at Ludlow, Colorado on April 20, 1914....
occurred.
He is generally considered a progressive UMWA president. He won UMWA approval of the six-hour day, a ban on the employment of anyone under the age of 16, pensions, and workers' compensation. Although he was a political conservative, he forced through an amendment to the UMWA constitution forbidding membership in the National Civic Federation
National Civic Federation
The National Civic Federation, was a federation of American businesses and labor leaders founded in 1900. It favoured moderate progressive reform and sought to resolve disputes arising between industry and organized labor. It emerged first in 1893 as the Chicago Civic Federation , which was also...
.
White is well-known for two actions which eventually determined the course of the labor movement in the United States. In 1912, he forced delegates of the UMWA convention to approve a resolution asking the American Federation of Labor
American Federation of Labor
The American Federation of Labor was one of the first federations of labor unions in the United States. It was founded in 1886 by an alliance of craft unions disaffected from the Knights of Labor, a national labor association. Samuel Gompers was elected president of the Federation at its...
to endorse industrial unionism
Industrial unionism
Industrial unionism is a labor union organizing method through which all workers in the same industry are organized into the same union—regardless of skill or trade—thus giving workers in one industry, or in all industries, more leverage in bargaining and in strike situations...
. He also appointed John L. Lewis
John L. Lewis
John Llewellyn Lewis was an American leader of organized labor who served as president of the United Mine Workers of America from 1920 to 1960...
to be UMWA's chief statistician, a position which would allow Lewis to launch his own successful, historic run for the union presidency.
He resigned from UMWA in 1917 to serve as a consultant to the National Fuel Commission during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.
After the war, he worked as a field representative for UMWA. He died in Des Moines, Iowa
Des Moines, Iowa
Des Moines is the capital and the most populous city in the US state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small portion of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines which was shortened to "Des Moines" in 1857...
, in 1934.