Lane Kirkland
Joseph Lane Kirkland ( born March 12, 1922 in Camden, South Carolina, † August 14 1999 in Washington DC) was an American union official.
Biography
Kirkland joined in 1948 as a Research Associate in the service of the head office of the American Federation of Labor ( AFL). As a union official from the outset he was administrative assistant in 1960 the then President in 1955 reunited the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL -CIO ), George Meany. In 1969, he rose to managing Treasurer on ( Secretary - Treasurer ) and thus took alongside Meany, the second highest position within the AFL- CIO.
Due to its high reputation in both the union members as well as in the ranks of the business manager, he was elected following the resignation of Meany, on 19 November 1999 as President of the AFL -CIO.
As an avowed anti-communist, he spent much of his time with the support of democracy and trade unions in Poland, in particular of the Solidarity in the 1980s, but also in the People's Republic of China, Cuba, South Africa and Chile. However, these efforts led to a decline in membership as the influence of the trade unions during the administration of President Ronald Reagan. Finally, the percentage of unionized workers fell during this period from 25 to just 15 percent.
But one of the main tasks during his tenure was the reunification of the U.S. trade union organizations under the umbrella organization of the AFL -CIO. In fact, it finally came 1990 on the return of the drivers' union ( International Brotherhood of Teamsters ), the Union of Miners ( United Mine Workers ), the auto workers union ( United Auto Workers ) and the International Union of port and warehouse workers of the West Coast of the United States (International Longshore and warehousemen 's Union of the West Coast) in the trade union federation.
When it came to the beginning of 1995 to a confrontation with other union president because of the declining influence of unions during his tenure, he first tried to maintain his re-election as President of the AFL -CIO. However, some months later, he stated that he would not run again, and resigned in August 1995. Successor as president of the AFL -CIO, John J. Sweeney.
For his services for trade union work and the democracy he was awarded in 1994 by President Bill Clinton with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, which represents one of the two highest civilian awards in the United States along with the peer Golden Congressional Medal of Honor. In 1995 he also received the Freedom Award in the category "Freedom from Want ".
As part of the Fulbright Program was established a Lane Kirkland scholarship to life after his death, the Polish students enables an exchange.