William H. Young (born August 16, 1946) is an American labor union leader. NALCbr>"Record-setting convention re-elects President Young"
''NALC Convention Chronicle'' (August 17, 2006). Retrieved 28 November 2010. He was president of the

National Association of Letter Carriers The National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) is an American labor union, representing non-rural letter carriers employed by the United States Postal Service. It was founded in 1889. The NALC has 2,500 local branches representing letter ca ...

(NALC) from 2002 to 2009 and also 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 ...

"On the Retirement of William H. Young"
(July 28, 2009). Retrieved 28 November 2010.

Biography

Young was born and raised in San Luis Obispo, California and joined the

United States Postal Service The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or Postal Service, is an independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for providing postal service in the U ...

in 1965 shortly after graduating from high school. After serving for two years in the US Army, he returned to the postal service and was elected a

shop steward 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 ...

of NALC Branch 1115 (later incorporated into Central California Coast Branch 52) and became its president in 1971. In the succeeding years he rose through the union hierarchy first at state, then at national level. He was elected national vice president of the union in 1994 and national executive vice president in 1998. On October 28, 2002, he was elected the 17th president of the NALC (succeeding Vincent R. Sombrotto) after a rank-and-file ballot in which Young received 79% of the votes and took up his post in December of that year. U.S. Newswire
"Young Elected President of Letter Carriers Union; Will Succeed Sombrotto After 24 Years at Helm"
(October 28, 2002). Retrieved 28 November 2010 . At the union's national convention in 2006, he was re-elected president by

acclamation An acclamation is a form of election that does not use a ballot. It derives from the ancient Roman word ''acclamatio'', a kind of ritual greeting and expression of approval towards imperial officials in certain social contexts. Voting Voice vot ...

and served in that post until his retirement in 2009. During Young's tenure as president of the NALC, the union developed new grievance procedures, negotiated a five-year contract with the US Postal Service providing for regular wage increases and cost-of-living adjustments which the membership ratified by a margin of 9 to 1, and increased its participation in politics. A Leadership Academy was also established to train future leaders of the union. Young appeared several times at

United States congressional hearing A United States congressional hearing is the principal formal method by which United States congressional committees collect and analyze information in the early stages of legislative policymaking. Whether confirmation hearings (a procedure unique ...

s including those on the overhaul of the US Postal Service in February 2004, the contracting out of letter carrier jobs in April 2007, and the implementation of the

Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act The Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act (PAEA) is a United States federal statute enacted by the 109th United States Congress and signed into law by President George W. Bush on December 20, 2006. The bill was introduced in the United Stat ...

in July 2007. At the time of his retirement from the presidency of the NALC, Young served on the AFL–CIO Executive Council as well as on its executive committee and political committee. He was also vice chair of the AFL–CIO Executive Council's Community Partnerships Committee, a national vice president of the

Muscular Dystrophy Association The Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) is an American 501(c)(3) umbrella organization that works to support people with neuromuscular diseases. Founded in 1950 by Paul Cohen, who lived with muscular dystrophy, it works to combat neuromuscular d ...

, and a member of the Advisory Board for the Walter P. Reuther Library of Labor and Urban Affairs at

Wayne State University Wayne State University (WSU) is a public research university in Detroit, Michigan. It is Michigan's third-largest university. Founded in 1868, Wayne State consists of 13 schools and colleges offering approximately 350 programs to nearly 25,000 ...

. Young resides in

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

with his wife, Deborah. The couple have four children.National Association of Letter Carriers
William H. Young, National President
/ref>

References

External links

*William H. Young
Passing the baton to a new generation
''The Postal Record'' (July 2009)
Official website of the National Association of Letter Carriers
{{DEFAULTSORT:Young, William H. American trade union leaders 1946 births Living people People from San Luis Obispo, California National Association of Letter Carriers Activists from California Vice presidents of the AFL–CIO

Biography

See also

References

External links