| 1892 |
Born February 22nd in Brest-Litovsk, then in Russia, son of Bezalel
and Shaina (Malka) Dobnievsky.
Moved to Lodz, where the family operated a bakery.
|
| 1903 |
Began to work in father's bakery after attending three terms in Hebrew
Zionist school.
|
| 1907 |
Qualified as master baker and joined bakers' union, organized by the
General Jewish Workers Union, the Bund.
Served as secretary of the bakers' union.
Arrested, together with 60 other members of the union, in the course
of a strike; released after payment of 25 rubles by father.
Left Lodz to live with an uncle in Brest-Litovsk; after three months
returned to Lodz and rejoined the bakers' union.
|
| 1908 |
Arrested while attending an illegal meeting of the bakers and, as a
second offender, exiled to a small Siberian village.
Escaped and made his way to Chelyabinsk and from there to Lodz,
working as a baker under an assumed name.
|
| 1910 |
Sailed, with an older brother, Chaira, to New York City.
|
| 1911 |
Arrived in NYC on January 1st.
Lived on Lower East Side and became apprenticed to learn the cutter's
craft.
Accepted as a member of Local 10, Cutters' Union of the
International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union, on July 13th.
|
| 1914 |
Married Emma Goldberg, an undergarment operator and member of the ILGWU.
(The couple had one child, a daughter, Jean.)
|
| 1918 |
Elected to executive board of Local 10.
|
| 1919 |
Elected vice-president of Local 10.
|
| 1920 |
Elected chairman of Local 10.
|
| 1921 |
Elected president of Local 10.
Elected general manager (a new office combining duties of manager and
secretary) of Local 10 in December.
|
| 1922 |
Elected vice president of ILGWU and member of General Executive Board.
|
| 1929 |
Elected General Secretary-Treasurer of ILGWU.
Served as Acting President of ILGWU.
|
| 1932 |
Elected by GEB in June as President, following death of President
Benjamin Schlesinger.
|
| 1934 |
Elected vice president of American Federation of Labor in October.
|
| 1935 |
Joined with John L. Lewis of Mine Workers and Sidney Hillman of
Amalgamated Clothing Workers to form a Committee for Industrial
Organization.
First U.S. labor representative to the International Labor
Organization.
|
| 1936. |
Joined in founding the American Labor Party in New York State.
Served as Democratic Party elector for the ticket of Franklin D.
Roosevelt and John N. Garner.
|
| 1944 |
Joined in founding Liberal Party.
|
| 1945 |
Elected vice president of American Federation of Labor.
|
| 1966 |
Offered resignation as President to GEB at meeting of March 14th, to
take effect April 12th.
Resignation effective June 15th, anniversary of date on which he was
first elected President.
|
| 1982 |
Died in New York City on September 17, 1982.
|
