John McBride (1854 – October 9, 1917) was an American
labor union leader.
McBride was born in
Wayne County, Ohio
Wayne County is a county in the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 116,894. Its county seat is Wooster. The county is named for General "Mad" Anthony Wayne. Wayne County comprises the Wooster, OH Micropolitan S ...
, in 1854. He started working in the coal mines at the age of nine. In 1870, McBride joined the Ohio Miners' Union, and in 1883 he became its president, a post that he retained until 1889. After serving briefly in the Ohio legislature as a
Democrat from 1884 to 1888, McBride helped found the Ohio People’s Party in 1891. In 1892, McBride was elected president of the
United Mine Workers
The United Mine Workers of America (UMW or UMWA) is a North American labor union best known for representing coal miners. Today, the Union also represents health care workers, truck drivers, manufacturing workers and public employees in the Unit ...
.
McBride's prominence continued to rise with the growth of the
Populist Movement in the American
Midwest
The Midwestern United States, also referred to as the Midwest or the American Midwest, is one of four census regions of the United States Census Bureau (also known as "Region 2"). It occupies the northern central part of the United States. ...
, and in 1894, McBride unseated labor icon
Samuel Gompers
Samuel Gompers (; January 27, 1850December 13, 1924) was a British-born American cigar maker, trade union, labor union leader and a key figure in labor history of the United States, American labor history. Gompers founded the American Federation ...
as president of the
American Federation of Labor
The American Federation of Labor (A.F. of L.) was a national federation of labor unions in the United States that continues today as the AFL-CIO. It was founded in Columbus, Ohio, in 1886 by an alliance of craft unions eager to provide mutua ...
. Not long after assuming the office, however, McBride became embroiled in conflicts with other union leaders and his popularity declined. Gompers regained the presidency the following year.
McBride was standing on a street corner in
Globe, Arizona
Globe ( apw, Bésh Baa Gowąh "Place of Metal") is a city in Gila County, Arizona, Gila County, Arizona, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population of the city was 7,249. The city is the county seat of Gila C ...
, when a runaway horse knocked him through a plate glass window, causing severe lacerations in his leg, a severed artery, great loss of blood, and death.
"John McBride, Labor Leader, Is Killed. ''New York Times.'' October 10, 1917.
/ref>
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:McBride, John
1854 births
1917 deaths
American trade union leaders
American trade unionists of Irish descent
Presidents of the United Mine Workers
American Federation of Labor people
People from Wayne County, Ohio
Ohio Populists
Trade unionists from Ohio