Word: unionists
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Dates: during 1950-1959
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Family & Early Years: Born in Chicago, son of an Irish immigrant stationary fireman (boilers) and ardent trade unionist. He went through grade school and three years of night school, at 17 started work as an apprentice steam fitter, became a journeyman, then went off to World War I as a private in the 332nd Field Artillery...
Personality: Softspoken, stocky, with white-streaked black hair and heavy eyebrows, a conservative, old-line unionist who likes a round-table conference but dislikes public speechmaking. He is the Cabinet's only Roman Catholic, is vice president of the Catholic Conference on Industrial Problems, goes to Mass every morning even when he is traveling, does not swear, drink or smoke. He has three sons, four grandchildren, lives with his wife in suburban Chevy Chase, Md. The first Secretary of Labor drawn from labor's ranks since Herbert Hoover's Railroader Bill Doak, he favors unification...
...when A.F.L. Founder Samuel Gompers died, aged 74, after 38 years in the federation's presidency, his heir-expectant was Matthew Woll of the Engravers' Union. But wing-collared Matt Woll was too hidebound a craft unionist for John L. Lewis, then as now president of the United Mine Workers. Lewis knew that he had no chance himself and, besides, he hoped to be U.S. Secretary of Labor in President Coolidge's Cabinet. He put forward the most conservative of his fellow mine union officials, Bill Green, and Green was elected...
Phil was bundled off to his first strike meeting when he was six, by his father, an Irish-born coal miner and unionist in Lanarkshire, Scotland. In 1902, William Murray brought his family (ten children) to the U.S., settled them in Pennsylvania's Westmoreland County coal fields. When Phil was fired for his fight with the weighman, he went to work for the United Mine Workers in Pittsburgh. In 1920, Phil Murray at 34 became vice president to the U.M.W.'s new president, John L. Lewis...
...party sentiment, the Bevanites won six out of seven seats. Bevan himself got the biggest vote (965,000), followed by red-haired Barbara Castle (868,000) and cocky Tom Driberg (744,000). For the first time in 23 years, Attlee's faithful lieutenant, Herbert Morrison, the lifelong trade unionist who became Foreign Secretary, was voted off the executive. He was beaten by Dick Crossman, a facile and erratically brilliant Johnny-come-lately to the Bevanite camp. The uproar in the meeting hall was deafening...