Dennis Lane (1881 – August 10, 1942) was an American labor union leader. Born in

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

, Lane worked in the stockyards from an early age. He joined the

Amalgamated Meat Cutters and Butcher Workmen of North America The Amalgamated Meat Cutters (AMC), officially the Amalgamated Meat Cutters and Butcher Workmen of North America, 1897–1979, was a labor union that represented retail and packinghouse workers. In 1979, the AMCBW merged with the Retail Clerks I ...

's Local 87, for cattle butchers. He took part in the major strike of 1904, as a result of which, he was sacked and blacklisted. He found work in other occupations for a few years, before coming to work as full-time organizer for the Meat Cutters. In 1914, Lane was elected as vice-president of the Amalgamated Meat Cutters, and then in 1917, to the top position of secretary-treasurer. He led major organizing drives, which were successful during

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, but foundered during the post-war depression. He led the union in a major strike in 1921, which was largely a failure. However, Lane remained in post, focusing on stabilizing the union, and promoting

industrial unionism Industrial unionism is a trade union organising method through which all workers in the same industry are organized into the same union, regardless of skill or trade, thus giving workers in one industry, or in all industries, more leverage in b ...

. Despite this position, he did not seek to affiliate the Meat Cutters to the

Congress of Industrial Organizations The Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) was a federation of Labor unions in the United States, unions that organized workers in industrial unionism, industrial unions in the United States and Canada from 1935 to 1955. Originally created in ...

, instead remaining loyal to the

American Federation of Labor The American Federation of Labor (A.F. of L.) was a national federation of labor unions in the United States that continues today as the AFL-CIO. It was founded in Columbus, Ohio, in 1886 by an alliance of craft unions eager to provide mutual ...

. Lane died in 1942, still in office.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lane, Dennis 1881 births 1942 deaths American trade union leaders People from Chicago Trade unionists from Illinois