Weinstone; Founding Member of U.S. Red Party
William W. Weinstone, a founding member of the Communist Party in the United States and a longtime leader in the trade union movement, has died at the age of 87.
Weinstone died Tuesday at La Guardia Hospital. A native of Brooklyn, he helped found the Communist Party in 1919, served as its general secretary in New York, and was an unsuccessful candidate for a succession of political offices in the 1920s and 1930s.
He helped organize garment, textile, automobile and subway workers. He was editor of The Daily Worker in 1931-32 and later wrote extensively for that and other Communist publications.
He served two years in federal prison after being convicted in 1953 of advocating the violent overthrow of the government. The charges stemmed from newspaper articles he had written about Communist Party education and membership plans.
Weinstone is survived by his wife, Monette; a sister, Claire Jones of Yonkers; three daughters and three grandchildren. A memorial service is planned.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
