Sweeney, John Joseph definition of Sweeney, John Joseph in the Free Online Encyclopedia.

Sweeney, John Joseph, 1934–, U.S. labor leader, b. New York City. An official of the Service Employees International Union Service Employees International Union (SEIU), labor union representing U.S. and Canadian workers in health care (doctors, nurses, health technicians), public services (government workers, school employees), building services (janitors, elevator operators, security
..... Click the link for more information. (SEIU) from 1960, he became president of the SEIU in 1980. As president, he emphasized organizing new workers and nearly doubled the union's membership. In 1995 he led dissatisfied labor leaders who challenged American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), a federation of autonomous labor unions in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Panama, and U.S.
..... Click the link for more information. president Lane Kirkland Kirkland, Lane (Joseph Lane Kirkland) (kûr`klənd)
..... Click the link for more information. . After Kirkland resigned, Sweeney defeated Thomas Donahue Donahue, Thomas R. (Thomas Reilly Donahue) (dŏn`əhy
..... Click the link for more information. , who had been appointed interim president, for the presidency of the AFL-CIO in the first contested such election in the organization's history. An unsuccessful challenge to his continued leadership resulted in 2005 in a split in the AFL-CIO, and several large unions with a total of more than 5 million members left the organization.