JOHN L LEWIS 1880 1969 LABOR LEADER LEWIS JOHN L 1880 1969 LABOR/LABOR UNIONS ECONOMY AND LABOR JOHN LEWIS JOHN L LEWIS WAS BORN IN LUCAS IOWA TO WELSH IMMIGRANT PARENTS HE LEFT SCHOOL TO JOIN HIS FATHER IN THE COAL MINES HE SOON BEGAN BUILDING A CAREER IN UNION ORGANIZING HE BECAME A STATE AGENT FOR THE UNITED MINE WORKERS AN INDUSTRIAL UNION LEWIS WAS ELECTED THE UNION'S VICE PRESIDENT IN 1917 THREE YEARS LATER HE BECAME ITS PRESIDENT A POSITION HE HELD FOR 40 YEARS IN 1935 LEWIS HELPED ESTABLISH THE CONGRESS OF INDUSTRIAL ORGANIZATIONS CIO A COMBINATION OF LABOR UNIONS HE SERVED AS CIO PRESIDENT UNTIL 1940
