William M. George is an American labor union activist and political leader who served as President of the

Pennsylvania AFL–CIO The Pennsylvania AFL–CIO is a federation of labor unions in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania in the United States. It is an affiliate of the AFL–CIO. It was formed on June 9, 1960, by the merger of two predecessor bodies, the Pennsylvania Feder ...

from 1990 to 2010.

Early professional career

George, originally a steel mill worker, began his career in union activism in 1960, when he joined the

United Steelworkers of America The United Steel, Paper and Forestry, Rubber, Manufacturing, Energy, Allied Industrial and Service Workers International Union, commonly known as the United Steelworkers (USW), is a general trade union with members across North America. Headqua ...

Local 1211 in

Aliquippa, Pennsylvania Aliquippa is a city in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, United States, along the Ohio River. The population was 9,238 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is located northwest of Pittsburgh and is part of the Pittsburgh metropolitan ar ...

. In 1971, he was appointed to the International Staff of the USWA District 20. In 1985, he was elected Secretary-Treasurer of the United Steelworkers Legislative Committee of Pennsylvania, where he was in charge of the legislative and education program.

Union leadership

In 1990, he was elected President of the Pennsylvania

AFL–CIO The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) is a national trade union center that is the largest federation of unions in the United States. It is made up of 61 national and international unions, together r ...

. In that position, he is "unquestionably PA's top labor leader". His election was a contentious one, with hundreds of construction workers who supported George's opponent, Vice Chair Robert McIntyre, leaving the convention hall in protest prior to the vote. At issue was a recently adopted rule allowing convention delegates to carry votes for their own local unions, plus votes for local unions not present; unions had previously been limited to one vote. National president

Lane Kirkland Joseph Lane Kirkland (March 12, 1922 – August 14, 1999) was an American labor union leader who served as President of the AFL–CIO from 1979 to 1995. Life and career Kirkland was born in Camden, South Carolina, the son of Louise Beardsley (Ri ...

sent McIntyre a letter supporting the decision. George served as a delegate to the

2000 2000 was designated as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the World Mathematics, Mathematical Year. Popular culture holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium, because of a tende ...

2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...

, and

2008 2008 was designated as: *International Year of Languages *International Year of Planet Earth *International Year of the Potato *International Year of Sanitation The Great Recession, a worldwide recession which began in 2007, continued throu ...

Democratic National Convention The Democratic National Convention (DNC) is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1832 by the United States Democratic Party. They have been administered by the Democratic National Committee since the 18 ...

s. He served as a

Presidential Elector In the United States, the Electoral College is the group of presidential electors that is formed every four years for the sole purpose of voting for the president and vice president in the presidential election. This process is described in ...

for

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...

during the

1992 1992 was designated as International Space Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 – Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt replaces Javier Pérez de Cuéllar of Peru as United Nations Secretary-General. * January 6 ** The Republ ...

1996 1996 was designated as: * International Year for the Eradication of Poverty Events January * January 8 – A Zairean cargo plane crashes into a crowded market in the center of the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo ...

, and

United States presidential election The election of the president of the United States, president and Vice President of the United States, vice president of the United States is an indirect election in which citizens of the United States who are Voter registration in the United ...

s. He served as member of the

Democratic National Committee The Democratic National Committee (DNC) is the principal executive leadership board of the United States's Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party. According to the party charter, it has "general responsibility for the affairs of the ...

from 2004 through 2008. In 2003, he was named to the

PoliticsPA PoliticsPA.com is a website centered on the politics of Pennsylvania. Content The website reports on political and campaign news in Pennsylvania, from the state legislature up to federal races. The editors write occasional features, like the ...

"Power 50" list of politically influential individuals. He was named to the

list of "Pennsylvania's Top Political Activists." The ''Pennsylvania Report'' named him to the 2003 "The Pennsylvania Report Power 75" list of influential figures in Pennsylvania politics, calling him "the name most people still associate with organized labor." In 2009, the ''Pennsylvania Report'' named him to "The Pennsylvania Report 100" list of influential figures in Pennsylvania politics and noted that as a "veteran of Harrisburg political battles" Bill George was a "major force in the state Democratic Party and in the legislature." In 2010, ''Politics Magazine'' named him one of the most influential Democrats in Pennsylvania. He retired from the presidency in 2010.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:George, Bill Year of birth missing (living people) Living people People from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania Pennsylvania Democrats AFL-CIO people United Steelworkers people Political activists from Pennsylvania 2008 United States presidential electors People from Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania Trade unionists from Pennsylvania