Union Mourns Car Inspector William Joseph Quinn, 97

The union lost a piece of its history on November 12 with the passing of Car Inspector William Joseph Quinn, 97. He had worked for NYCT for 30 years, and was a Shop Chair and Union Steward at the time of the 1966 strike. The news came from his son, also named Bill, who was an IBEW member who worked for PSE&G in New Jersey.

CED Vice President Shirley Martin offered her condolences to the Quinn family along with those of her chairs. A reception will be held tomorrow, Tuesday, November 15th at the Becker Funeral Home at 219 Kinderkamack Road in Westwood, New Jersey from 2 to 4 and from 7 to 9 PM. A Mass celebrating his life will take place at St. Andrews RC Church on Wednesday, November 16th at 10:30 am with interment to follow at Westwood Cemetery in Westwood, New Jersey.

Bill Quinn, his son, had a reminiscence about his father’s father, his grandfather, also named Bill Quinn, who also worked in the Car Equipment Department for Transit.

“My father’s father,” he said, “my grandfather, stood shoulder to shoulder with Mike Quill when the TWU signed their first contract back in 1935. My father was only ten years old at the time. He told me that his dad came home and told my mother, ‘we signed a contract – and we got one week’s vacation!’ Pop was ecstatic.”

“I remember bringing him to the celebration the TWU had at the Manhattan Center to honor the veterans of the 1966 strike. You treated him like royalty.”

Of his father’s long life, he said, “This is something you can tell the younger guys who want stuff in the contract now. He had a great retirement, collecting a pension for 42 years. There is a future for us.”