James Wilson (unionist)

James Adair Wilson (April 23, 1876 – September 3, 1945) was an American labor union leader.

Born in Erie, Pennsylvania, Wilson trained as a patternmaker. In 1898, he joined the Pattern Makers' League of North America, and he was elected as its president in 1902. In order to take up the post, he moved to New York City, then in 1906, moved to Cincinnati.^[1]^[2]

During World War I, Wilson traveled to Europe twice on labor missions. He served on the War Labor Board, and was an alternate on the National Mediation Board. In 1924, he was elected as a vice president of the American Federation of Labor.^[3]

Wilson left his labor union posts in 1934, to become a labor counselor at the International Labour Organization in Geneva. He died in 1945.^[3]

References[edit]

^ The Samuel Gompers Papers. University of Illinois Press. 1986. ISBN 9780252033896.
^ The National Cyclopaedia of American Biography. 1967.
^ ^a ^b "James A. Wilson, 69, a leader of labor". New York Times. September 4, 1945.

Trade union offices
Preceded by Lewis R. Thomas	President of the Pattern Makers' League of North America 1902–1934	Succeeded by George Q. Lynch
Preceded by John A. Moffit James Wood	American Federation of Labor delegate to the Trades Union Congress 1906 With: Frank Keyes Foster	Succeeded by John T. Dempsey William E. Klapetzky
Preceded by Martin Francis Ryan	Fifth Vice-President of the American Federation of Labor 1929–1930	Succeeded by James P. Noonan
Preceded by Matthew Woll	Fourth Vice-President of the American Federation of Labor 1930–1934	Succeeded by John Coefield