William Huber (1852 – 1925) was a carpenter and an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

labor Labour or labor may refer to: * Childbirth, the delivery of a baby * Labour (human activity), or work ** Manual labour, physical work ** Wage labour, a socioeconomic relationship between a worker and an employer ** Organized labour and the labour ...

leader. Born in

Waterloo, New York Waterloo is a town in Seneca County, New York, United States. The population was 7,338 at the 2020 census. The town and its major community are named after Waterloo, Belgium, where Napoleon was defeated. There is also a village called Water ...

, Huber completed an apprenticeship as a carpenter. He soon became a foreman, working in

Canisteo, New York Canisteo () is a town in Steuben County, New York, United States. The population was 3,294 at the 2020 census. The name was taken from a former Native American village located there, and is Iroquoian in origin. The Town of Canisteo is in the ...

, then to

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

, and on to

Yonkers Yonkers () is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States. Developed along the Hudson River, it is the third most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City and Buffalo. The population of Yonkers was 211,569 as enu ...

. He joined the

United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America The United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America, often simply the United Brotherhood of Carpenters (UBC), was formed in 1881 by Peter J. McGuire and Gustav Luebkert. It has become one of the largest trade unions in the United State ...

in 1894, founding a new local in Yonkers. He was elected as vice-president of the union in 1898, and then as president in 1899. As president of the Carpenters, Huber built a powerful personal machine among the international union's organizers. He expanded the union's jurisdictional claims, and forced 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 mutu ...

to formally recognize and enforce the union's jurisdiction. He was also a critic of racial discrimination within the union. After his election, Huber was ordered by the international union's executive board to assist founder and general secretary-treasurer

Peter J. McGuire Peter J. McGuire (July 6, 1852 – February 18, 1906) was an American labor leader of the nineteenth century. He co-founded the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America in 1881 along with Gustav Luebkert and became one of the leading ...

with his duties. But McGuire's failing health, alcoholism and general unpleasantness led Huber to abandon this role. Huber, along with Frank Duffy, was one of a group of union leaders who sought to force McGuire into retirement. He personally presented the charges of incompetence and corruption which led to McGuire's dismissal from the union in 1902. Huber was a key figure in the formation of the

Structural Building Trades Alliance The Structural Building Trades Alliance (SBTA) was an American federation of labor unions in the construction industry. It was founded in 1903 and existed until 1908, when it affiliated with the American Federation of Labor (AFL) and became the Bu ...

in 1902. He also led raids on the American Wood Workers Union, and forced the union to merge with the Carpenters in 1912. Huber did not get along well with the generally autonomous members of the international union's executive board. Although he was able to win passage of constitutional amendments that centralized power within the office of the international president, he was exhausted by the battles with the board. Huber retired as president of the Carpenters at the end of his term in 1912, becoming a traveling representative for the union. He was succeeded as president by

James Kirby James Kirby ( – October 8, 1915) was an American labor leader and president of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America from 1913 to 1915."The Late James Kirby" (Oct 1915) ''The Bricklayer, Mason and Plasterer'', Volumes 18-1 ...

References

*Christie, Robert. ''Empire in Wood: A History of the Carpenters' Union.'' Ithaca, N.Y.: Cornell University Press, 1956. *Fink, Gary, ed. ''Biographical Dictionary of American Labor.'' Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1984. *Galenson, Walter. ''The United Brotherhood of Carpenters: The First Hundred Years.'' Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 1983. . American trade union leaders United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America people 1852 births 1925 deaths People from Waterloo, New York Trade unionists from New York (state) Vice Presidents of the American Federation of Labor {{worker-activist-stub