Michael Casey

Michael "Bloody Mike" Casey (September 21, 1860 – May 2, 1937) was an Irish-born American labor leader and politician who served on the San Francisco Board of Public Works from 1902 to 1913 and as president of the San Francisco Teamsters' Union from 1900 until his death in 1937.

Life and career

Born in Elphin, County Roscommon, in Ireland, Casey emigrated with his family to the United States in 1871. When Michael was 12, the family settled in San Francisco. From 1889, Casey worked as a teamster, driving a team of horses. In 1900, he and John P. McLaughlin founded a local of the Team Drivers' International Union in the city. The following year, he led the union through a major strike, during which he was nicknamed "Bloody Mike" by opponents, a title which he embraced.

In 1902, Casey was appointed Commissioner of the city's Board of Public Works, where he served until 1913. He was the leader of the anti-Schmitz faction of the Union Labor Party. Eventually, he became disillusioned with local politics, and decided to focus his time on labor unionism.