Harry Van Arsdale Jr., Date of Birth, Place of Birth, Date of Death
TweetHarry Van Arsdale Jr.
Date of Birth: 23-Nov-1905
Place of Birth: Hell's Kitchen, New York, United States
Date of Death: 16-Feb-1986
Profession: trade unionist
Nationality: United States
Zodiac Sign: Sagittarius 
About Harry Van Arsdale Jr.
- Harry Van Arsdale Jr.
- (November 23, 1905 – February 16, 1986) was a labor and community leader in New York City.
- His father was a union electrician. Van Arsdale was descendant from 17th century Dutch immigrants to New York and a descendant of John Van Arsdale, a Colonial army veteran of the American Revolutionary War, who climbed up a greased flagpole to retrieve a Union Jack flag which still flew during the evacuation of the British from New York.
- Van Arsdale was also related to noted historian James Riker.At the age of 28 he rose to the leadership of Union Local 3 of the IBEW, a labor union for electrical workers.
- He eventually served as a leader of the Building Trades Council in New York City, and was the first President of the New York City Central Labor Council (NYCCLC) AFL-CIO in New York City.
- He held this post from its formation in 1958 until his death in 1986.
- During Van Arsdale's tenure as Business Manager of his union and the NYCCLC, he introduced employer-funded pension systems in the building trades and created a community for electrical workers and their families to live called Electchester in Queens, New York.
- He also was responsible for the organization of the taxi drivers in New York City and was a driving force in organizing hospital workers in the city.
- The hospital workers union, SEIU 1199, later became one of the single largest unions in the city with over 100,000 members.
- Today the New York City Central Labor Council (NYCCLC) is the largest local labor membership organization under the direction of the national AFL-CIO.
- Founded in 1959 the NYCCLC represents over 400 local New York City unions in both the public and private sectors of the New York economy [2].
- The New York City Central Labor Council is a non-profit labor membership organization devoted to supporting, advancing and advocating for its member organizations and all 'working class' people of New York City.
- Of the 11 million total workers represented by the AFL-CIO, the New York City Central Labor Council alone represents close to 15% of its total membership.
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