I'm trying to put together some names of Carlins who served as leaders of
organized labor during the early days of American labor. Specifically, I
need some names of Carlins who were active in a union prior to 1900.
We may, in fact, have some of these names already recorded on various Carlin
family or sept pages, without realizing that these people may have been
union members.
This is in connection with a new Carlin Archives webpage, "Carlin Labor
Leaders," located at
http://www.attorney.carlin.net/laborleaders.htm . The
most prominent Carlin labor leader today, from among all Carlin family
lines, is Thomas F. Carlin, a vice president of the Texas AFL-CIO and
longtime official of the Transport Workers Union at American Airlines, DFW
Airport, Texas.
To the best of my knowledge, the earliest Carlin labor leader was Elmer
Ellsworth Carlin, a typographical union leader in Wheeling, WV, who was a
delegate to the 1891 convention of the International Typographical Union.
Elmer, a printer, compositor, foreman and union leader, was the son of John
Carlin, a first sergeant during the Mexican-American War and a somewhat
prominent captain in the Union Army during the Civil War.
Elmer E. Carlin served for 14 years as foreman of the composing room at The
Wheeling (WV) Register, and for almost 30 years as an active member of
Wheeling Typographical Union No. 79, of which he also served as president.
Two of his brothers, Wilbur S. and Frank Carlin, were also members of the
typographical union in Wheeling.
Data at The Carlin Archives Online show that Elmer E. Carlin was the first
labor leader from among all Carlin familes in the U.S., but these data, of
course, are subject to change based on new information.
Do you know of any other Carlins, from among your ancestors or from any
Carlin family lines, who served as union leaders prior to 1900? If so, I'd
appreciate learning more about them.
Thank you.
Fred
Fredric M. Carlin
fred(a)carlin.org