William Green (labor leader)
Encyclopedia
William Green was an American trade union
leader. Green is best remembered for serving as the President of the American Federation of Labor
from 1924 to 1952.
, the son of Welsh
immigrants. His father was a coal miner
.
movement as a young miner, gaining election as secretary of the Coshocton Progressive Miners Union in 1891.
In 1910, he was elected to the Ohio Senate
, where he served as both Senate president pro tempore and Democratic floor leader. He was named to the AFL
Executive Council in 1914, and became Secretary-Treasurer in 1916.
In 1924 he became president of the AFL following the death of Samuel Gompers
, a position he held until his death. He is best remembered for having presided over the split in the AFL which led to the founding of the Congress of Industrial Organizations
(CIO).
Green was regarded, both by his contemporaries and historically, as a very mild mannered leader who deferred on nearly all matters to aides such as Matthew Woll
and his more distinguished successor George Meany
.
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
leader. Green is best remembered for serving as the President of 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...
from 1924 to 1952.
Early years
William Green was born March 3, 1873 in Coshocton, OhioCoshocton, Ohio
Coshocton is a city in and the county seat of Coshocton County, Ohio, United States. The population of the city was 11,682 at the 2000 census. The Walhonding River and the Tuscarawas River meet in Coshocton to form the Muskingum River....
, the son of Welsh
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
immigrants. His father was a coal miner
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,...
.
Career
Green went to work himself in the coal mines in 1879 at the age of 16. He became involved in the trade unionTrade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
movement as a young miner, gaining election as secretary of the Coshocton Progressive Miners Union in 1891.
In 1910, he was elected to the Ohio Senate
Ohio Senate
The Ohio State Senate is the upper house of the Ohio General Assembly, the legislative body for the U.S. state of Ohio. There are 33 State Senators. The state legislature meets in the state capital, Columbus. The President of the Senate presides over the body when in session, and is currently Tom...
, where he served as both Senate president pro tempore and Democratic floor leader. He was named to the AFL
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...
Executive Council in 1914, and became Secretary-Treasurer in 1916.
In 1924 he became president of the AFL following the death of Samuel Gompers
Samuel Gompers
Samuel Gompers was an English-born American cigar maker who became a labor union leader and a key figure in American labor history. Gompers founded the American Federation of Labor , and served as that organization's president from 1886 to 1894 and from 1895 until his death in 1924...
, a position he held until his death. He is best remembered for having presided over the split in the AFL which led to the founding of the Congress of Industrial Organizations
Congress of Industrial Organizations
The Congress of Industrial Organizations, or CIO, proposed by John L. Lewis in 1932, was a federation of unions that organized workers in industrial unions in the United States and Canada from 1935 to 1955. The Taft-Hartley Act of 1947 required union leaders to swear that they were not...
(CIO).
Death and legacy
Green died November 21, 1952. He was 79 years old at the time of his death.Green was regarded, both by his contemporaries and historically, as a very mild mannered leader who deferred on nearly all matters to aides such as Matthew Woll
Matthew Woll
Matthew Woll was president of the International Photo-Engravers Union of North America from 1906 to 1929, an American Federation of Labor vice president from 1919 to 1955 and an AFL-CIO vice president from 1955 to 1956.-Early life:Born in Luxembourg in 1880 to Michael and Janette Woll, the Roman...
and his more distinguished successor George Meany
George Meany
William George Meany led labor union federations in the United States. As an officer of the American Federation of Labor, he represented the AFL on the National War Labor Board during World War II....
.
External links
- AFL-CIO biography
- William Green, a pictorial biography by Max Danish