John F. O'Donnell (lawyer)

John F. O'Donnell (died 1993) was an Irish-born 20th-Century American "leading labor lawyer" who represented the national Transport Workers Union (TWU) (now Transport Workers Union of America) and American Postal Workers Union (APWU) and also "played a central role in New York City's transit strikes" from the 1930s to the 1980s.

O'Donnell was born in Donegal, Ireland. He had one brother and two sisters. His support for the Irish Republican Army led to run-ins with British authorities, so he moved to New York City at age 20.

He studied first at City College of New York (CCNY) and then earned a law degree from Fordham University in 1937. He attended night classes. By day, he worked variously as elevator operator, grocery clerk, teacher of delinquents, and editorial writer for The Irish Echo.

In the 1930s, O'Donnell became aide and friend to (then) City Councilman Michael J. Quill, who went on to co-found the Transport Workers Union and became its president.

In 1948 he and Asher Schwartz formed a law partnership in Manhattan (and in 1981 formed an affiliated law firm in Washington), for labor law and union clients.

Over the years, he partook in many "tense" transit negotiations, including the 11-day 1980 New York City transit strike.

In 1990, O'Donnell was still serving as general counsel to the Transport Workers Union, as indicated in his letter of December 18, 1990, to the New York Times, in which he voiced support for a strike by the New York Daily News "wholeheartedly."

O'Donnell served as general counsel for the Transport Workers Union from 1948. He also served as top lawyer for the American Postal Workers Union. Other clients included: International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers - Utilities Division - Local 3, Communications Workers of America - Locals 1101 and 1105, and Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Workers Union - Local 1S. (Schwartz served as counsel to the Newspaper & Mail Deliverers Union of New York and vicinity.)

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