In late 1980 the Rockefeller Foundation granted to the State Historical Society of Wisconsin money to support a project to collect oral remembrances of individuals involved in industrial union organizing in Wisconsin. This interview with Paul Whiteside is part of that project.
Sixty-seven-year-old Paul Whiteside came to Wisconsin in 1942 and almost immediately became active in the labor movement. He served as president of Federal Labor Union 19322 (now United Steelworkers of America Local 9322) from 1947 until 1950 when he was elected secretary, a post he held until 1967. He also served as president of the Kenosha Trades and Labor Council, then the Kenosha AFL-CIO Council, 1948-1962. He has been on the Executive Board of the Wisconsin State Federation of Labor (Wisconsin State AFL-CIO today) since 1950. He was chairman of the Board of the Union Co-op Publishing Company (Kenosha Labor) from 1948 to 1970. In addition, he served as business agent for Retail Clerks Local 526 (1948-1976) and 1403 (1951-1976) and Meat Cutters Locals 588 (1964 to present) and 283 (1952 to present).
