Powers was born in Ireland, and emigrated to the United States in 1861, settling in New York City.
He served in the Union Army during the American Civil War, then relocated to Chicago.
He became a sailor, working on the Great Lakes, and in 1877, he was a founding member of a union for lumber unloaders.
[2] In 1881, Powers was a founding member of the Federation of Organized Trades and Labor Unions (FOTLU), and was elected as its first president, serving a single term.
[2] From the late 1880s, Powers worked in a variety of jobs, including drain inspector and revenue collector.