Jacob Sheinkman (December 6, 1926 – January 29, 2004) was an American labor union leader. Sheinkman was born in the

Bronx The Bronx () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the state of New York. It is south of Westchester County; north and east of the New York City borough of Manhattan, across the Harlem River; and north of the New Y ...

, to parents who had recently emigrated from

Kyiv Kyiv, also spelled Kiev, is the capital and most populous city of Ukraine. It is in north-central Ukraine along the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2021, its population was 2,962,180, making Kyiv the List of European cities by populat ...

. In his youth, Sheinkman attended

Evander Childs High School Evander is a masculine given name. It is an anglicization of the Greek name Εὔανδρος (lit. "good man", Latinized ''Evandrus''). It has also been adopted as an anglicization of the Gaelic name Iomhar (the Gaelic variant of the name Ivor ...

and was active in the Workmen's Circle. He served in the

US Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage of ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, then in the Naval Reserve, where he became a lieutenant. After the war, he studied industrial labor relations at

Cornell University Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to teach an ...

, then law, and also completed a certificate in economics with the

University of Oxford , mottoeng = The Lord is my light , established = , endowment = £6.1 billion (including colleges) (2019) , budget = £2.145 billion (2019–20) , chancellor ...

. After completing his studies, Sheinkman became an organizer with the

International Brotherhood of Pulp, Sulphite and Paper Mill Workers The International Brotherhood of Pulp, Sulphite, and Paper Mill Workers (IBPSPMW) was a labor union representing workers involved in making paper in the United States and Canada. The union was founded on January 6, 1906, as a split from the Interna ...

, then in 1953 switched to work for the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America. In 1958, he became the union's general counsel, then in 1972, he was elected as its secretary-treasurer. The union merged into the new Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers Union, and Sheinkman continued as secretary-treasurer, then in 1987, he was elected as its president. As leader of the union, he was prominent in opposition to

CIA activities in Nicaragua CIA activities in Nicaragua have been ongoing since the 1980s. The increasing influence gained by the Sandinista National Liberation Front, a left-wing and anti-imperialist political party in Nicaragua, led to a sharp decrease in Nicaragua–U ...

, and was also known for working with companies in an attempt to persuade them to keep jobs in America. He also served on the President's Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiations. With the textile and clothing industry in decline, Sheinkman arranged a further merger, which in 1995 formed the Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Textile Employees. He retired, taking the title of president emeritus of the new union, and instead becoming chair of

Americans for Democratic Action Americans for Democratic Action (ADA) is a liberal American political organization advocating progressive policies. ADA views itself as supporting social and economic justice through lobbying, grassroots organizing, research, and supporting prog ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sheinkman, Jack 1926 births 2004 deaths Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America people American labor lawyers People from the Bronx Trade unionists from New York (state) Cornell University alumni Alumni of the University of Oxford