John M. Bowers (November 11, 1922 – August 21, 2011) was an American labor union leader.
Born in New York City on November 11, 1922,[1] Bowers served as a radio operator in the United States Army during World War II.
After the war, he followed in a family tradition by becoming a longshoreman, and also joined the International Longshoremen's Association (ILA).
He negotiated several long-term contracts for longshoremen on the U.S. East Coast, and created the Container Freight Station Operations, which brought union members onto new types of work with containers.
[2] However, union membership fell, and he was criticized for his salary, eventually more than $500,000 a year.