William H. Wynn

William H. "Bill" Wynn (1932 – February 21, 2002) was the first president of the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW), and the last president of the Retail Clerks International Union (RCIU), after the latter merged with the Amalgamated Meat Cutters and Butcher Workmen of North America in 1979, to create the UFCW. He is best known for playing a leading role in completing the above merger, and, through that effort, making a pivotal contribution to the creation of the largest union affiliated to the AFL–CIO at the time. Wynn is also credited for instituting a fierce organizing culture at UFCW.

Early life Bill Wynn came from a union family, with both of his parents, plus his uncle and brother-in-law, active in the United Auto Workers.

Wynn became a union member himself in 1948 when, at the age of 15, he started working at the Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company, or A&P, superstore in his hometown of South Bend, Indiana.

Retail Clerks activism and career Wynn was elected the full-time union representative for RCIU Local 37 in 1954, and in 1961 he was hired by the international to serve as an organizer for the RCIU Indiana District Council, and later became assistant director of the Northwestern Division.

UFCW presidency Wynn was the unanimous choice to lead the new union by delegates to the UFCW's founding convention in Montreal in 1979.

Through Wynn's leadership the UFCW grew significantly – via new member organizing and mergers with other unions – and pioneered the use of television advertising as a tactic and medium for comprehensive campaign approaches.

A vice-president of the AFL–CIO, Wynn chaired the labor federation's Organizing Committee, and served on the executive board of the A. Philip Randolph Institute.

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Wynn marshalled the UFCW behind Democratic candidates for president, and served on the committee to elect Jimmy Carter in 1979.

He also led the UFCW's effort on behalf of Walter Mondale and Geraldine Ferraro during the 1984 presidential campaign, becoming one of the first union leaders to encourage and support Ferraro's bid to be the first female vice-president of the United States.

Death Wynn died in Naples, Florida, in 2002 of a heart attack.