Peter J. Brennan
Peter J. Brennan (May 24, 1918-Oct. 2, 1996) grows up in the then-heavily Irish "Hell's Kitchen" neighborhood of New York. He attends a local college and takes a painter's apprenticeship that leads to union work. His labor career is interrupted by a stint in the Navy during World War II. Brennan goes on to climb the ladder at several trade councils, including the New York AFL-CIO, and is tapped as secretary of labor by President Nixon because he knows "the people."
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