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New Book Shows IAM’s ‘Wimpy’ No Wimp |
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Christmas may be over, but it’s never too late to give yourself a present. A new biography of William Winpisinger, who led the Machinists (IAM) from 1977-1988, takes an in-depth look at the life of the legendary labor leader, who was affectionately by his nickname, “Wimpy.”
But as author Patrick Halley makes clear, Wimpy was no wimp. When Winpisinger died in 1997 at the age of 73, IAM President Tom Buffenbarger said:
“He made sure the workers’ voice was heard…from the picket lines to Capitol Hill, from the bargaining table to the corporate boardroom.”
In 1951 at age 26, Winpisinger became one of the youngest members of the IAM national field staff. During his tenure as IAM president and on the AFL-CIO Executive Council, he gained a reputation as a blunt-spoken advocate of progressive ideals.
In addition to his stewardship of the IAM, Winpisinger famously sued oil-producing countries for price fixing and helped establish the NFL Players Association.
He was one of the first civilians to use the Internet, and he helped expose big media’s bias against the labor movement. He also was instrumental in convincing Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) to challenge President Jimmy Carter for the Democratic nomination in 1980.
To order a copy of “Wimpy,” click here.
4 Comments
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Of all the top labor leaders 1947-2009, Winpisinger was the most progressive. I’ll be looking forward to the book as soon as I can afford it.
in solidarity
Gene Lantz, Editor
UAW 848 in Dallas
Winpisinger was also Co-Chair of the Democratic Socialist Organizing Committee (DSOC) and later National Vice-Chair of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA). The New York Times obit (Dec. 12, 1997) noted: “In an era when some top-level labor leaders were hard to distinguish from the management negotiators they faced across the table, Mr. Winpisinger was almost a throwback to the days of labor titans like John L. Lewis and Walter P. Reuther. He once described the United States as a “corporate state” in which financial and business interests were fleecing the honest workers. He called for a national take-over of railroads, airlines, banks, utilities and the oil industry.”
Having attended the Winpisinger Center in Maryland, I can say that “Wimpy” was an advocate for educating union members. Many Machinists, and others have been recieving excellent training at the school that he made a reality.
I did not have the pleasure of meeting Wimpy. I did however know of his activities and his powerful passion for the working class.
I will always remember him for his opposition to continued funding of weapons despite the fact that many members of the IAM were employed in munitions and other defense contractor plants. He advocated for retooling the factories of death to factories where products that would benefit the people and not the greedy factory bosses!
He was indeed a great labor hero!