William H. Wynn
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William H. "Bill" Wynn (1932 – February 21, 2002) was the first president of the
United Food and Commercial Workers International Union The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) is a labor union representing approximately 1.3 million workers in the United States and Canada in industries including retail; meatpacking, food processing and manufacturing; hosp ...
(UFCW), and the last president of the
Retail Clerks International Union The Retail Clerks International Union (RCIU) was a labor union that represented retail employees. History The RCIU was chartered as the "Retail Clerks National Protective Union" in 1890 by the American Federation of Labor. It later adopted the n ...
(RCIU), after the latter merged with the Amalgamated Meat Cutters and Butcher Workmen of North America in 1979, to create the UFCW. He is best known for playing a leading role in completing the above merger, and, through that effort, making a pivotal contribution to the creation of the largest union affiliated to the
AFL–CIO The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL–CIO) is the largest federation of unions in the United States. It is made up of 56 national and international unions, together representing more than 12 million ac ...
at the time. Wynn is also credited for instituting a fierce organizing culture at UFCW.


Early life

Bill Wynn came from a union family, with both of his parents, plus his uncle and brother-in-law, active in the United Auto Workers. Wynn became a union member himself in 1948 when, at the age of 15, he started working at
The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company, better known as A&P, was an American chain store, chain of grocery stores that operated from 1859 to 2015. From 1915 through 1975, A&P was the largest grocery retailer in the United States (and, until ...
, or A&P, superstore in his hometown of South Bend, Indiana.


Retail Clerks activism and career

Wynn was elected the full-time
union representative A union representative, union steward, or shop steward is an employee of an organization or company who represents and defends the interests of their fellow employees as a labor union member and official. Rank-and-file members of the union hold ...
for RCIU Local 37 in 1954, and in 1961 he was hired by the international to serve as an organizer for the RCIU Indiana District Council, and later became assistant director of the Northwestern Division. Wynn was mentored by RCIU international representative James Housewright, who eventually became the international president, and who in 1969 called Wynn to the union's international headquarters in Washington to serve as assistant to the international director of organizing. Within the same year, Wynn was further promoted to administrative assistant to the international president, and two years later, he was made organizing director of the central division. In 1971, Wynn was elected an international vice-president of the RCIU, and in 1976, he became the union's international secretary treasurer. Following the untimely death of Housewright in 1977, Wynn was elected RCIU international president. Wynn advanced the work started by Housewright regarding a merger effort with the
Amalgamated Meat Cutters The Amalgamated Meat Cutters (AMC), officially the Amalgamated Meat Cutters and Butcher Workmen of North America, 1897–1979, was a labor union that represented retail and packinghouse workers. In 1979, the AMCBW merged with the Retail Clerks I ...
. Under Wynn's leadership, the merger was completed in 1979, and the UFCW was created, becoming the
AFL–CIO The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL–CIO) is the largest federation of unions in the United States. It is made up of 56 national and international unions, together representing more than 12 million ac ...
's largest affiliated union.
, retailwire.com. Retrieved February 25, 2018


UFCW presidency

Wynn was the unanimous choice to lead the new union by delegates to the UFCW's founding convention in Montreal in 1979. Through Wynn's leadership the UFCW grew significantly – via new member organizing and mergers with other unions – and pioneered the use of television advertising as a tactic and medium for comprehensive campaign approaches. A vice-president of the
AFL–CIO The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL–CIO) is the largest federation of unions in the United States. It is made up of 56 national and international unions, together representing more than 12 million ac ...
, Wynn chaired the labor federation's Organizing Committee, and served on the executive board of the A. Philip Randolph Institute.


Political involvement

Wynn marshalled the UFCW behind Democratic candidates for president, and served on the committee to elect
Jimmy Carter James Earl Carter Jr. (born October 1, 1924) is an American politician who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he previously served as th ...
in 1979. He also led the UFCW's effort on behalf of
Walter Mondale Walter Frederick "Fritz" Mondale (January 5, 1928 – April 19, 2021) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 42nd vice president of the United States from 1977 to 1981 under President Jimmy Carter. A U.S. senator from Minnesota ...
and
Geraldine Ferraro Geraldine Anne Ferraro (August 26, 1935 March 26, 2011) was an American politician, diplomat, and attorney. She served in the United States House of Representatives from 1979 to 1985, and was the Democratic Party's vice presidential nominee ...
during the 1984 presidential campaign, becoming one of the first union leaders to encourage and support Ferraro's bid to be the first female vice-president of the United States.


Death

Wynn died in Naples, Florida in 2002 of a heart attack.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wynn, William H. American trade union leaders 1932 births 2002 deaths United Food and Commercial Workers people Vice presidents of the AFL–CIO