William Whitefield (4 January 1850 – 21 October 1926) was a British trade unionist.
Born near Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Whitefield became a coal miners at the age of ten. He became active in the Northumberland Miners' Association, and served as a checkweighman for seven years, then became a deputy. During this time, he undertook correspondence courses to educate himself.
The newly formed Bristol Miners' Association invited him to become their agent and secretary in 1889, and he took up the post there in June. He proved immediately successful, negotiating a 10% pay increase for union members. He served on the executive of the Miners' Federation of Great Britain (MFGB) on four occasions between 1889 and 1904.
Whitefield was asked to stand as a Liberal-Labour candidate in the 1890 Bristol East by-election, but was unable to finance a candidacy. However, he was elected to Bristol City Council in 1906, representing St George East until 1919. He then became an alderman until his death.
References
- Robin Page Arnot, The Miners: 1889-1910, p.106
- ^ University of the West of England, "Trade unions", Bristol Historical Resource
- Peter Carter and John Smethurst, Historical Directory of Trade Unions, Vol.6, p.486
- Robin Page Arnot, The Miners: 1889-1910, p.391
| Trade union offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded byNew position | Secretary of the Bristol Miners' Association 1889 – 1921 |
Succeeded byCharles Gill |
| Preceded byCharles Ammon and Ernest Bevin | Trades Union Congress representative to the American Federation of Labour 1916 With: Harry Gosling |
Succeeded byArthur Hayday and John Hill |