New Orleans, LA
Bill Wynn dedicated his life to the service of working men and women through building a strong, growing, progressive and politically active labor movement. He was one of the primary architects of the modern labor movement– and, with his crafting of the 1979 merger of the Retail Clerks and the Amalgamated Meat Cutters, created one of the first modern, multi-jurisdictional mega-unions— the UFCW.
As the founding UFCW President, Bill Wynn established an organization that gave workers a unified voice in the food industry, from the packing house to the grocery store–and, brought union representation to workers in health care, department stores, boot and shoe, fur and leather, and banking and insurance. He brought service sector workers to the forefront of the union movement– and, led the effort to provide fully employer-paid family health benefits and defined benefit pension plans across all UFCW jurisdictions. He actively championed civil rights, social justice, and human rights causes. He served as a leader of the A. Philip Randolph Institute, the Urban Coalition, the Farmworker Justice Fund, and the Religion and Labor Conference. He opened the doors of leadership in the UFCW to women and minorities with affirmative hiring practices— and, expanded women and minority representation on the UFCW Executive Board.
Bill Wynn was not only an International Union leader, he was a labor movement leader. He served on the AFL-CIO’s Executive Council and the executive boards for the Maritime Trades, Food and Beverage Trades, and Industrial Union Departments. He was instrumental in re-uniting the House of Labor, and used his good offices to help bring about the affiliation of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. He served on numerous civic, presidential, national, community and charitable organizations– and, made the UFCW the leading source of funding for Leukemia research.
Millions of working men and women have led better lives as the result of Bill Wynn’s life, leadership, and uncompromising commitment to organizing and union building.
THEREFORE,
BE IT RESOLVED: The AFL-CIO Executive Council, on behalf of all its affiliates, take a moment of silence to honor and remember Bill Wynn for his years of dedication to the labor movement and his historic achievements.