Wendell W. Young III

We are saddened to hear of the passing of Wendell W. Young III, president emeritus of Local 1776 and longtime Pennsylvania labor leader.

Starting at the age of 16 as a part time clerk at the Acme market in Philadelphia, Mr. Young dedicated his life to the labor movement. As a young clerk, with his father serving as his inspiration to get involved with the store’s union, Mr. Young was soon elected shop steward by his co-workers.

His influence as a labor leader spread quickly and by age 22 Mr. Young became the business agent of Retail Clerks Local 1357 which had 5,000 members at the time, then a year later was elected local president, making him one of the youngest labor leaders in the state’s history.

Throughout Mr. Young’s 43-year tenure, the union’s bargaining unit grew from only representing clerks in Philadelphia to advocating for 24,000 workers in the region and across Pennsylvania. Under Mr. Young, the union grew to represent other industrys as well and became more diverse.

Mr. Young will be remembered for the great work he did as a job creator and innovative negotiator.  He was a key player in the creation of Super Fresh Markets and a creative employee stock ownership bid that saved Acme Markets and thousands of jobs throughout the region.

To read more about the impact that Mr. Young had on the labor movement, click here.