William Johnson (born 1866) was a British trade unionist and socialist activist.

Born in Bingley, then in the West Riding of Yorkshire, Johnson worked on a farm until 1882, when he emigrated to the United States. He undertook various jobs there, and joined the Knights of Labour during a lock out. He became increasingly active in the union, serving as a representative for worsted mill workers.^[1]

In 1888, Johnson returned to the UK, becoming a shop assistant, and in 1889 he joined the East London Shop Assistants Union. He became its honorary secretary the following year, and took it into a merger which formed the National Union of Shop Assistants in 1891, becoming its full-time general secretary. While leader, he launched a journal, Shop Life Reform.^[1]

Johnson was a member of the Fabian Society, on its radical wing, and unusually proposed in 1892 that Liberal Party officials should be ineligible for membership of the organisation.^[2] He was also a supporter of The Clarion, and was one of seven people present at a meeting at its office in 1892, when it was proposed that an independent labour party be formed. In 1893, this was established as the Independent Labour Party; Johnson served as secretary to the standing orders committee at is founding conference, and served on its first National Administrative Committee.^[1] He stood to become the first general secretary of the party, but was defeated by Shaw Maxwell, 66 votes to 28.^[3]

Later in 1893, Johnson moved to London. The following year, he resigned his trade union post to become secretary of the Democratic Club, in succession to Shaw Maxwell.^[1] However, Shaw Maxwell soon returned to the post, and Johnson became treasurer of the Shop Assistants' Union, later serving a term as president. He also represented the union at the Trades Union Congress, the first shop assistant to attend one of its meetings.^[4]

References