President of the Cigar Makers International Union and organizer of the American Federation of Labor (AFL).
Born 1844, Austria-Hungary; died January 1, 1939, Lakeland, Florida.
Buried in Forest Park.

Born in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Strasser came to the United States in 1872. He may have first spent some time in England, as he spoke English fluently and was knowledgeable about British trade unionism when he arrived here. Settling in New York, Strasser became active in his local trade union, the Cigar Makers International Union (CMIU). One important early objective for the union was to achieve an eight-hour day.

In 1875, Strasser became the unions financial secretary, with Samuel Gompers serving as president. By 1877, Strasser had been elected president, a position he held for fifteen years. His leadership came at a time when the union was in trouble. When the cigar mold was introduced in the 1870s, unskilled workers flooded the market for the first time. Large numbers of recent immigrants were recruited to live in company-owned housing and make cigars. With men, women, and children making these cheaper cigars, the skilled cigar-makers who made up the membership of the CMIU found that their own jobs and wages were declining.

Strasser introduced the union label to identify a quality product. This union label can be seen on the central monument. In 1886, he, with four others, issued a call for a convention in Columbus, Ohio, that organized the American Federation of Labor (AFL). He was a major force in the creation of that union. He worked for the CMIU and the AFL as a lecturer, auditor and general trouble-shooter.

By 1895 the CMIU headquarters had relocated to Chicago; Strasser lived here from 1918-1929. In 1930, he moved to Florida, all but forgotten. On his death in 1939, he was buried in a pauper's grave. When the union discovered this, they arranged to have his body moved to the plot of Union Local 14 at Forest Home Cemetery. A special stone was placed here to mark his grave in 1986.

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Sources include but are not limited to:

• From "Nature's Choicest Spot" ... a Guide to Forest Home and Germany Waldheim Cemeteries prepared by The Historical Society of Oak Park and River Forest.

• Graveyards of Chicago by Matt Hucke and Ursula Bielski -- a book which describes many of the Chicago area cemeteries.

• "The Village of Harlem: Its People, Homes and Business – 50^th Anniversary Souvenir 1856 to 1906", provided by Richard Vitton, President of the Historical Society of Forest Park.

Last Modified:  12/10/2002