William W. Winpisinger; Radical Labor Leader

William W. Winpisinger, 73, one of the last radical American labor leaders. President of the International Assn. of Machinists and Aerospace Workers from 1977 until 1989, he advocated federal takeover of railroads, airlines, banks, utilities and oil companies. He accused businesses of joining with conservative politicians to “pick . . . the pocket” of workers, but served as a board director of TWA when the machinists acquired stock in the company as part of a labor agreement. He often steered his union to endorse liberal candidates, including Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.) and civil rights leader Jesse Jackson in their bids for the presidency. Winpisinger consistently supported reductions in the Pentagon’s budget, even though his union members worked primarily for defense contractors. On Thursday in Columbia, Md., of cancer.