Meany, George (1894-1980), served as the first president of the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO). He held the office from 1955, when the AFL and CIO merged, until he retired in 1979. Before the merger, Meany had served as president of the AFL since 1952.
Meany made it one of his chief tasks to eliminate corruption in labor unions. He was influential in expelling the big and powerful Teamsters Union from the AFL-CIO in 1957, after its leaders were accused of unethical practices.
Meany played a major role in the AFL-CIO’s international activities. He tried to strengthen anti-Communist forces in labor, and he strongly supported United States policy on the Vietnam War (1957-1975).
Meany was highly critical of President Richard M. Nixon’s efforts to halt inflation. However, he agreed in 1971 to serve on a Pay Board that Nixon set up to control wage increases. Several months later, Meany resigned from the Pay Board, accusing the Nixon Administration of favoring business over labor.
Meany was born on Aug. 16, 1894, in New York City. He became an apprentice plumber when he was 16 years old. Meany served as president of the New York State Federation of Labor from 1934 to 1939 and as secretary-treasurer of the AFL from 1940 to 1952. He died on Jan. 10, 1980.
