Life of John Riffe. Born into an extremely poor family in Kentucky, he became a coal miner at the age of 14 and later became involved in the trade union movement. He was instrumental in creating the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Unions (AFL-CIO), which sought to unite the divided labor unions into a great union. At his funeral, trade union leaders from around the world sent messages. From Japan, General Secretary Akira Iwai of the General Council of Trade Unions, Minoru Takita, President of the All-Ryo Congress, Renzo Yanagisawa, Chairman of the Shipbuilding Committee, Tsuyoshi Suzuki, Member of the House of Councilors, Kanju Kato, Member of the House of Councilors, Shizue Kato, and others joined the service. Translated by Yukika Soma.
Japanese
