George Meany

George Meany
President of the AFL–CIO (1955–1979)
Born	William George Meany (1894-08-16)August 16, 1894 Harlem, New York City
Died	January 10, 1980(1980-01-10) (aged 85) Washington, DC
Occupation	Labor leader
Spouse(s)	Eugenia McMahon Meany
Parent(s)	Michael Meany and Anne Cullen Meany

William George Meany (August 16, 1894 – January 10, 1980) was an American labor union leader for 57 years. He was the key figure in the creation of the AFL-CIO and served as the AFL-CIO's first president, from 1955 to 1979.

Meany, the son of a union plumber, became a plumber at a young age, as well. He became a full-time union official 12 years later. As an officer of the American Federation of Labor, he represented the AFL on the National War Labor Board during World War II. He served as president of the AFL from 1952 to 1955.

He proposed its merger with the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) in 1952 and led the negotiations until the merger was completed in 1955. He then served as president of the merged AFL-CIO for the next 24 years.

Meany had a reputation for integrity and consistent opposition to corruption in the labor movement, and strong anti-communism. He was the best known union leader in the United States in the mid-20th century.

Meany was born into a Roman Catholic family in Harlem,New York City on August 16, 1894, the second of 10 children. His parents were Michael Meany and Anne Cullen Meany, who were both American-born and of Irish descent. His ancestors had immigrated to the United States in the 1850s. His father was a plumber and a strong supporter of the trade union movement and served as president of his plumber's union local. Michael Meany was also a precinct level activist in the Democratic Party.

Meany grew up in the Port Morris neighborhood of The Bronx, where his parents had moved when he was five years old. Always called "George," he learned that his real first name was William only when he got a work permit as a teenager. Following his father's career path, Meany quit high school at 16 to work as a plumber's helper. He then served a five-year apprenticeship as a plumber and got his journeyman's certificate in 1917, with Local 463 United Association of Plumbers and Steamfitters of the United States and Canada.