Peter Fosco (May 13, 1892 – October 26, 1975) was a Polish-born American labor union leader. Born in Poland, at the time governed by Russia, to Italian parents, Fosco emigrated to the United States in 1913 and settled 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 ...

. There, he worked as a laborer, and joined the

Laborers' International Union of North America The Laborers' International Union of North America (LIUNA, stylized as LiUNA!), often shortened to just the Laborers' Union, is an American and Canadian labor union formed in 1903. As of 2017, they had about 500,000 members, about 80,000 of whom ...

(LIUNA). He was elected as financial secretary of his local union in 1916, and then as president in 1920. That year, he unsuccessfully put himself forward as a Republican Party candidate for Congress. In 1936, he was appointed as manager of the union's Chicago region. From 1938 to 1946, he additionally served on the

Cook County Board of Commissioners The Cook County Board of Commissioners is a legislative body made up of 17 commissioners who are elected by district, and a president who is elected county-wide, all for four-year terms. Cook County, Illinois, Cook County, which includes the City ...

, representing the Democratic Party. Fosco was elected as international secretary-treasurer of the LIUNA in 1950, and then as the union's president in 1968. As leader of the union, he negotiated a merger with the National Association of Post Office and Postal Transportation Service Mail Handlers, Watchmen and Messengers, and worked to increase the union's organizational, training and educational capacity. From 1969, he also served as a vice-president of the

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 ...

, and as first vice-president of the federation's

Building and Construction Trades Department A building or edifice is an enclosed structure with a roof, walls and windows, usually standing permanently in one place, such as a house or factory. Buildings come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and functions, and have been adapted throughout ...

. In 1972, he was awarded a plaque by

Richard Nixon Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 until Resignation of Richard Nixon, his resignation in 1974. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican ...

at a Columbus Day dinner, with Nixon citing Fosco's support of the prosecution of the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...

. The Fosco Park community center was also named for him. Fosco died in 1975, while still in office. He was succeeded as president of LIUNA by his son,

Angelo Fosco Angelo Fosco (August 27, 1921 – February 11, 1993) was an American labor union leader. Born in Chicago, Angelo was the son of Peter Fosco, an activist in the Laborers' International Union of North America (LIUNA). He was educated at Morgan ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fosco, Peter 1892 births 1975 deaths American trade union leaders Laborers' International Union of North America people Polish emigrants to the United States Vice presidents of the AFL-CIO