Shannon J. Wall

rdf:langString Shannon J. Wall

rdf:langString President, National Maritime Union

rdf:langString Shannon J. Wall (March 4, 1919, Portland, Oregon – February 2, 2007) was a merchant seaman and an American labor leader. He was president of the National Maritime Union (or NMU, now part of the Seafarers International Union of North America) from 1973 to 1990. His father and mother ran a small dry cleaning company. He joined the United States Merchant Marine and became a merchant seaman. He joined the NMU shortly thereafter. When the Merchant Marine was incorporated into the U.S. armed forces during World War II, he became a boatswain and served in the Pacific on both freight and troop carriers. In 1951, he was appointed a staff representative (or "port patrolman") for a union local in San Francisco, California, roaming the port and talking to workers to ensure the union's contract was being honored. He became a staff representative in San Pedro, California, in 1954. As he rose within the union's ranks, he moved to New Jersey to represent the union in East Coast shipping matters. Wall was elected the national union's vice president in 1958, and served three two-year terms. In 1964, he was elected the national union's secretary-treasurer.