Tommy Lewis (trade unionist)

Thomas Lewis (12 December 1873 – 28 February 1962) was a British trade unionist, local councillor and Labour Member of Parliament (MP).

Biography

Lewis was born in the St. Mary's area of Southampton, the son of dock labourer from Jersey in the Channel Islands. He began work as a watchmaker at the age of 11. In the late 1880s, he became involved with the Social Democratic Federation and went on to serve for nine years on the Federation's National Executive. In 1901, following the establishment of the Labour Party the previous year, Lewis was elected as Southampton's first Labour councillor. He served on the Borough council until 1961, except for two short breaks totalling 18 months

Lewis was selected by Southampton

Lewis played a prominent, if sometimes controversial, role in the development of trade unionism in Southampton. He helped to form branches of the Dockers' Union, the Ship's Stewards' Union, the Shop Assistants' Union and the National Sailors' and Firemen's Union. In 1911 he took part in a revolt of the local Seamen's Union branch against the national officials, which led to formation of a new union, the British Seafarers' Union. Lewis became the honorary president of the new union and, later, of its successor, the Amalgamated Marine Workers' Union. He was also president of the Hearts of Oak Benefit Society for many years.

Thomas Lewis Way

In 1989, the A335 Portswood bypass was opened, a road which followed the course of what was intended to be the M272 motorway, a spur of the M27 from into Southampton (along similar lines to the M271 motorway).^[1] Instead the bypass was constructed as a single carriageway road, and was named Thomas Lewis Way after Tommy Lewis.^[2]

See also

• British Seafarers' Union

References

• ISBN 0-900178-06-X
  .
• Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs