Larkin, Dale,

Local labor union activist of upper East Tennessee. Employee of United Inter-Mountain Telephone Co., which became United Telephone-Southeast, since 1972. Active in Communications Workers of America (CWA) Local 10871 and president of Sullivan-Hawkins-Hancock Counties Central Labor Council (AFL-CIO), 1982-1984.

Kingsport Press, a book manufacturing plant in Kingsport, Tennessee, began operation in the early 1920s. During the 1950s, it became the largest complete book manufacturing firm in the world. Three unions which had been established at the plant in 1933 went on strike March 11, 1963. These were the International Printing Press Union, the International Stereotypers and Electrotypers Union, and the International Brotherhood of Bookbinders Union. After four years of unsuccessful deliberations between the company's arbitrators and its unions, the strike ended April 28, 1967 with the disbanding of the unions. At the present time, Kingsport Press is owned by Arcata Graphics.