C. J. Haggerty

C. J. Haggerty
Haggerty in 1937
Executive Secretary-Treasurer of the
California Labor Federation
In office
1943–1960
Preceded byEdward D. Vandeleur
Succeeded byThomas L. Pitts
President of the
California Labor Federation
In office
1937–1943
Preceded byJames Edward Hopkins
Succeeded byAnthony L. Noriega
Personal details
Born
Cornelius Joseph Haggerty

(1894-01-10)January 10, 1894
Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
DiedOctober 10, 1971(1971-10-10) (aged 77)
Palm Springs, California, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
SpousePeggy Kelleher
Children2
OccupationLabor leader, civil servant
Military service
Allegiance United States
Branch/service United States Navy
Years of service1917–1921
RankChief Carpenter's Mate
Battles/warsWorld War I

Cornelius Joseph "Neil" Haggerty (January 10, 1894 – October 10, 1971) was an American labor union leader. He served as President of the California Labor Federation from 1937 to 1943, then as Executive Secretary-Treasurer from 1943 to 1960.

Born in Boston, Haggerty worked briefly as a singer before completing an apprenticeship as a lather. He joined the Wood, Wire and Metal Lathers' International Union in 1915. He served in the United States Navy during World War I, then returned to lathing, moving to Los Angeles in 1921.[1][2]

Haggerty began working full-time for his union as an organizer on the West Coast, later becoming a vice-president of the union. In 1933, he was elected as president of the Los Angeles Building and Construction Trades Council. He became president of the Californian State Federation of Labor in 1937, and then secretary in 1943.[1][2]

During World War II, Haggerty served on the War Manpower Commission, and the executives of the Office of Price Administration and the Civil Defense Council. In 1960, he became president of the Building and Construction Trade Department of the AFL-CIO, in which role he often came into conflict with Walter P. Reuther. He opposed wage controls, and argued for the training of more black construction workers. He retired in 1970.[1][2][3]

Haggerty also served on the Californian State Board of Education. He died in 1971.[1][2]

  1. ^ a b c d "C. J. Haggerty, 77, labor leader, dies". Chicago Tribune. October 13, 1971.
  2. ^ a b c d Fink, Gary (1984). Biographical Dictionary of American Labor. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press. ISBN 0313228655.
  3. ^ "C. J. Haggerty, 77, labor chief, dies". New York Times. October 13, 1971.