Paul Booth (labor organizer) facts for kids

Paul Booth in 2016

Paul Booth (born June 7, 1943 – died January 17, 2018) was a very important person who spent his life working for fairness and change. He was an activist, which means he worked hard to bring about social or political improvements. He also protested against wars and spent his whole life as a labor organizer. This means he helped workers join together to improve their jobs and lives.

Many people respected Paul Booth. Someone called him "one of the labor movement’s key strategists," meaning he was very good at planning how to help workers. Another person called him "an organizer’s organizer," showing how skilled he was at bringing people together. He started his work in the labor movement in 1966. He was a research director for the United Packinghouse Workers of America, a union for workers who processed meat. Later, he became an organizing director for American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), a large union for public service workers. He worked there for 40 years!

Before joining the labor movement, Paul Booth was a student organizer. He helped start a group called Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) at Swarthmore College. He even helped write an important document for SDS called the Port Huron Statement, which talked about what students wanted for a better society. He became the national leader of SDS for a year in 1965. Paul Booth was also a main organizer of a big protest in April 1965. This was the March on Washington to End the War in Vietnam, where many people walked together to ask for peace.

In 1971, Paul Booth helped lead a group called the Citizens Action Program (CAP). This group first looked into air pollution. But soon, they started investigating how some big companies were not paying their fair share of taxes. CAP found that a company called U.S. Steel had avoided paying billions of dollars in taxes. Paul Booth's organizing skills and CAP's work inspired other groups to investigate taxes across Illinois.

In 2016, Paul Booth spoke at the Democratic National Convention. This was a big meeting where the Democratic Party chose its candidate for president. He was asked to help write the party's plans. He retired from his job at AFSCME in 2017. Even after retiring, he kept writing about political plans for future elections. When he retired, a politician named Jan Schakowsky praised Paul Booth in the Congressional Record. She said he made great "contributions to the progressive movement" as an activist, organizer, and leader. She also said he left behind a "rich legacy" of achievements.

Paul Booth's Early Life and Family

Paul Booth grew up in Washington, D.C. His parents were both members of the Socialist Party, a political group that believes in fairness for everyone. His mother worked as a social worker, helping people with mental health. His father was an economist who worked for the government. He helped create Social Security, a program that helps people financially, especially after they retire.

Paul Booth graduated from Swarthmore College in 1964. In July 1967, he married Heather Booth. She was also a well-known activist. They had two children, named Gene and Dan.

Paul Booth passed away on January 17, 2018. He died from problems related to a type of blood cancer called chronic lymphocytic leukemia.