520:
25:
485:, the director of District 31, then the union's largest district. Sadlowski, a member of the union's Rank and File Caucus, had mounted an insurgent campaign for the post of director of District 31 in 1973. Although he was unsuccessful, he sued to have the election overturned on the grounds that it violated the fair election procedures of the Labor Management Reporting and Disclosure Act.
336:
Abel accused McDonald of being too cozy with employers by substituting fringe benefit gains for wage increases and ignoring members' concerns. The election took place on
February 9, 1965. Voting irregularities and challenged ballots delayed a final result until April 30. Abel relied heavily on voting and ballot-challenging procedures established under the relatively new
409:
In 1971, record imports of foreign steel led to 108,000 steelworkers being laid off. Although a new national steel contract was reached without a strike the same year, Abel and the USWA executive council realized that the steel industry's tendency to stockpile steel in anticipation of a strike led to
593:
I. W. Abel – Steelworker, social reformer, union organizer, and labor statesman, I. W. Abel has forged a distinguished record of wise and firm leadership that exemplifies the very best traditions of the
American labor movement. His many achievements and his unfailing concern for people have earned
335:
In the early 1960s, Abel was angered by what he perceived as McDonald's weakness in winning new national contracts for steelworkers. When McDonald altered the union's constitution to permit him to serve two more four-year terms, Abel decided to challenge McDonald in the 1965 presidential election.
405:
Abel also won several strong national steel and other metals contracts. He established the union's first strike fund and quickly amassed an $ 85 million balance. He resumed coordinated bargaining with the major steelmakers and established separate bargaining councils for aluminum and other metals
477:
Various union leaders and members began to criticize Abel after the 1977 contract. Despite Abel's successes at the bargaining table, steelmakers continued to cut back production, and union membership sank by 650,000. Also, older union members were angry over the 1974 consent decree, which had
382:
Abel also broadened the union's inclusiveness. He encouraged open discussion of controversial issues among the staff and membership and decentralized a number of union functions. He also worked to increase minority participation in local, regional and national union affairs and to end job
424:
The ENA proved a great success during the 1974 national steel contract talks. Abel won a $ 2.00 an hour raise over three years. The union also won the right to engage in local strikes over noneconomic working conditions, which the union had agreed to ban in previous contracts.
386:
His reforms were not enough. Workers sued the union for race and sex discrimination numerous times in the late 1960s and early 1970s. In 1974, Abel was forced to sign a consent decree to alter seniority rules that discriminated against women and minority workers.
376:
343:
However, union officials and federal monitors eventually declared Abel the winner by a razor-thin margin of 10,142 votes, out of 600,678 cast, and on May 20, McDonald declined to challenge the result. Over 7,000 of the votes came from
323:
was elected president as his successor, and Abel was elected secretary-treasurer. Unlike the flamboyant and vocal McDonald, Abel remained in the background as the union's secretary-treasurer. He was appointed to the
262:, Abel worked at a brickmaking company loading a kiln at less than a quarter his former pay. Convinced that a union would have protected him from losing his job, he became active in the American labor movement.
274:(SWOC), he organized Steel Workers Local 1123. He remained a member of the local until his death. He proved an effective and strong negotiator and union president, and in one year alone, he led 42 wildcat
500:, the director of District 34, ran as Abel's successor. Sadlowski ran for the presidency. Abel spent a significant amount of time campaigning for McBride. The election was a bitter one, but McBride won.
413:
To counteract the cycle, in 1973 Abel negotiated the
Experimental Negotiating Agreement (ENA) with the major steelmakers. Abel agreed not to strike during the 1974 contract talks and agreed to binding
296:
in 1942, to form the United Steel
Workers of America (USWA), Abel was appointed director of the Canton District of the USWA and became a member of the executive council of the Ohio CIO Council.
348:
locals, and Abel spent a greater amount of time than had any of his predecessors protecting the interests of
Canadian steelworkers locals. Abel was sworn in as USWA president on June 2, 1965.
428:
The ENA contributed to a second round of successful contract talks in 1977, but employers unilaterally withdrew from the pact in 1980 after the steel industry recession of 1979.
390:
Abel actively sought new federal laws to protect union workers as well. He was a vigorous proponent of workplace health and safety and worked to help pass the
368:
372:
488:
The election was rerun, with
Sadlowski winning in 1974. Sadlowski was widely considered to be a challenger to Abel in the 1977 presidential election.
866:
293:
573:"Gerald Ford, XXXVIII President of the United States: 1974–1977, Remarks Upon Presenting the Presidential Medal of Freedom, January 10, 1977"
337:
891:
548:
856:
454:
Abel's strong advocacy of the rights of minorities within the union led him to be appointed in 1967 by
President Lyndon Johnson to the
255:
Abel married
Bernice Joseph in 1930. The couple had two children. She died in 1982, and Abel married Martha Turvey a few years later.
469:'s wage and price restraint board. He resigned in 1972 over the program's decision for strict limits to wage increases for workers.
304:
395:
876:
759:
458:, which was created to investigate the rioting that had occurred that year in Black neighborhoods in more than 150 cities.
399:
361:
308:
98:
861:
846:
607:
572:
881:
871:
391:
271:
693:
679:
665:
651:
68:
46:
285:
in 1937. His skilled leadership during the strike brought him to the attention of national SWOC officers and staff.
39:
414:
360:
following his election and served on the federation's executive council. In 1968, he was elected president of the
886:
462:
367:
During Abel's presidency, membership in the USWA rose by more than 500,000, as he engineered mergers with the
432:
249:
841:
813:
851:
340:(or "Landrum-Griffin Act"). Without the assistance of the new law, it is unclear that he would have won.
329:
288:
In 1937, Abel was hired by SWOC head the national union's organizing staff. Abel became a protégé of
398:
of 1974, which protected the interests of participants in private pension plans and established the
248:) in Canton. He switched jobs often and found employment at the Canton Malleable Iron Company, the
33:
519:
377:
International Union of
District 50, Allied and Technical Workers of the United States and Canada
50:
792:
234:
coal miner. He attended local public school and graduated from
Magnolia High School in 1925.
836:
831:
527:
Abel died of cancer at his home in Malvern in 1987; he would have turned 79 one day later.
8:
731:
282:
270:
In 1936, Abel found work again at Timken Roller Bearing and, with the assistance of the
686:
The Rise, Fall, and Replacement of Industrywide Bargaining in the Basic Steel Industry.
723:
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661:
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504:
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320:
121:
777:
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259:
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In 1967, he was appointed an alternate representative of the US delegation to the
244:
In 1925, he worked as a molder for the American Sheet and Tin Plate Company (now
751:
544:
448:
220:
161:
580:
825:
801:
741:
508:
497:
466:
289:
275:
177:
133:
332:. He spent most of his time visiting local unions and listening to members.
781:
300:
238:
231:
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him not only the gratitude, but the esteem and respect of fellow citizens.
809:
436:
208:
245:
227:
672:
And the Wolf Finally Came: The Decline of the American Steel Industry.
496:
However, Abel had announced his retirement instead. An Abel protégé,
205:
788:
418:
357:
325:
224:
658:
Right to Challenge: People and Power in the Steelworkers Union.
345:
237:
He attended college at Canton Actual Business College in
698:
Pomfret, John D. "Abel Declared Victor in Steel Vote."
674:
Pittsburgh, Pa.: University of Pittsburgh Press, 1988.
369:
International Union of Mine, Mill, and Smelter Workers
200:(August 11, 1908 – August 10, 1987), better known as
705:
Seeger, Murray. "M'Donald Yields Union Presidency."
571:
Wolley, John T.; Gerhard Peters (January 10, 1977).
570:
550:
Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States
230:, and Mary Ann (née Jones) Abel, the daughter of a
373:United Stone and Allied Product Workers of America
294:Amalgamated Association of Iron and Steel Workers
823:
292:, president of SWOC. When SWOC merged with the
394:in 1970. He was also a strong advocate of the
319:Murray died in 1952. USWA secretary-treasurer
338:Labor Management Reporting and Disclosure Act
383:discrimination by local steelworker unions.
410:a boom-and-bust cycle, which hurt workers.
644:Biographical Dictionary of American Labor.
431:On January 11, 1977, Abel was awarded the
579:. www.presidency.ucsb.edu. Archived from
356:Abel was elected a vice president of the
69:Learn how and when to remove this message
867:Presidential Medal of Freedom recipients
646:Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1984.
605:
518:
507:. In 1984, he and his new wife moved to
214:
32:This article includes a list of general
684:Mangum, Garth L. and McNabb, R. Scott.
608:"I. W. Abel of Steelworkers Dies at 78"
606:McFadden, Robert D. (August 11, 1987).
396:Employee Retirement Income Security Act
314:
824:
481:One Abel's most prominent critics was
472:
417:for any bargaining issues that led to
281:Abel was an active participant in the
760:Industrial Union Department, AFL-CIO
635:"Abel Is Sworn In By Steelworkers."
543:
503:After his retirement, Abel moved to
400:Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation
362:Industrial Union Department, AFL-CIO
351:
309:Congress of Industrial Organizations
223:, in 1908, to John Franklin Abel, a
99:President of the United Steelworkers
18:
461:In 1971, Abel was appointed to the
13:
660:New York: Harper & Row, 1972.
478:stripped them of their seniority.
392:Occupational Safety and Health Act
272:Steel Workers Organizing Committee
38:it lacks sufficient corresponding
14:
903:
857:Presidents of United Steelworkers
16:American labor leader (1908–1987)
23:
577:The American Presidency Project
265:
892:Vice presidents of the AFL–CIO
599:
564:
537:
523:Tombstone in Magnolia Cemetery
463:Economic Stabilization Program
442:
1:
877:People from Sun City, Arizona
688:New York: M.E. Sharpe, 1997.
530:
491:
433:Presidential Medal of Freedom
250:Timken Roller Bearing Company
7:
241:, but he did not graduate.
10:
908:
862:Deaths from cancer in Ohio
847:People from Magnolia, Ohio
629:
330:political action committee
252:and the Colonial Foundry.
882:People from Malvern, Ohio
872:Trade unionists from Ohio
806:
786:
774:
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305:National War Labor Board
53:more precise citations.
887:20th-century Lutherans
524:
793:Trades Union Congress
522:
303:, Abel served on the
215:Early life and career
716:Trade union offices
315:Challenging McDonald
258:Laid off during the
842:Lutherans from Ohio
732:United Steelworkers
642:Fink, Gary M., ed.
583:on February 2, 2014
473:Internal opposition
307:, representing the
283:Little Steel Strike
198:Iorwith Wilbur Abel
87:Iorwith Wilbur Abel
612:The New York Times
525:
820:
819:
807:Succeeded by
767:Succeeded by
758:President of the
739:Succeeded by
730:President of the
724:David J. McDonald
505:Sun City, Arizona
456:Kerner Commission
375:in 1971; and the
352:President of USWA
321:David J. McDonald
219:Abel was born in
195:
194:
122:David J. McDonald
79:
78:
71:
899:
791:delegate to the
778:Kenneth J. Brown
775:Preceded by
764:1968–1977
749:Preceded by
721:Preceded by
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483:Edward Sadlowski
260:Great Depression
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144:Personal details
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656:Herling, John.
637:New York Times.
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769:Jacob Clayman
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742:Lloyd McBride
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709:May 20, 1965.
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736:1965 - 1977
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702:May 1, 1965.
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615:. Retrieved
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587:November 24,
585:. Retrieved
581:the original
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502:
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465:, President
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406:industries.
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328:, the CIO's
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301:World War II
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287:
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269:
266:Union career
257:
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243:
239:Canton, Ohio
236:
218:
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197:
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187:Labor leader
173:(1987-08-10)
129:Succeeded by
106:
80:
65:
56:
37:
837:1987 deaths
832:1908 births
810:John Griner
443:Other roles
437:Gerald Ford
415:arbitration
117:Preceded by
59:August 2024
51:introducing
826:Categories
617:August 26,
556:August 27,
531:References
492:Retirement
246:U.S. Steel
228:blacksmith
184:Occupation
155:1908-08-11
34:references
379:in 1972.
204:, was an
111:1965–1977
107:In office
547:(1979).
346:Canadian
211:leader.
206:American
97:3rd
789:AFL-CIO
630:Sources
419:impasse
358:AFL-CIO
326:CIO-PAC
311:(CIO).
299:During
276:strikes
47:improve
799:With:
692:
678:
664:
650:
225:German
36:, but
515:Death
232:Welsh
209:labor
690:ISBN
676:ISBN
662:ISBN
648:ISBN
619:2013
589:2016
558:2013
168:Died
149:Born
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