Michael Casey (unionist)

Born in Elphin, County Roscommon, in Ireland, Casey emigrated with his family to the United States in 1871. When Michael was 12, the family settled in San Francisco. From 1889, Casey worked as a teamster, driving a team of horses. In 1900, he and John P. McLaughlin founded a local of the Team Drivers' International Union in the city. The following year, he led the union through a major strike, during which he was nicknamed "Bloody Mike" by opponents, a title which he embraced.^[3]

In 1902, Casey was appointed Commissioner of the city's Board of Public Works, where he served until 1913. He was the leader of the anti-Schmitz faction of the Union Labor Party.^[4] Eventually, he became disillusioned with local politics, and decided to focus his time on labor unionism.^[3]

In 1903, the Team Drivers merged into the new International Brotherhood of Teamsters, which appointed Casey as its West Coast organizer. In 1912, he won election as second vice-president of the union. In the role, he opposed strikes, and negotiated an end to the 1934 West Coast waterfront strike. He died in 1937, still in office.^[3][5]

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