# Con Devitt

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{{Short description|Scottish-born New Zealand trade unionist}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2014}}
{{Use New Zealand English|date=August 2014}}
{{Infobox person
| honorific_prefix   = 
| name               =  Con Devitt
| honorific_suffix   = 
| image              =     
| alt                = 
| caption            = 
| birth_name         = Cornelius Devitt
| birth_date         =  {{Birth date|1928|09|21|df=y}}
| birth_place        = [Greenock](/source/Greenock), [Renfrewshire](/source/Renfrewshire), Scotland
| death_date         = {{death date and age|2014|07|13|1928|09|21|df=y}}
| death_place        = [Wellington](/source/Wellington), New Zealand
| death_cause        = 
| resting_place      = 
| resting_place_coordinates =  <!-- {{coord|LAT|LONG|type:landmark|display=inline}} -->
| nationality        = 
| other_names        = 
| citizenship        = 
| education          = 
| alma_mater         = 
| occupation         = Trade union leader
| years_active       = 
| employer           = 
| organization       = 
| title              = 
| term               = 
| predecessor        = 
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| opponents          = 
| spouse             = Joyce Bastow
| children           = 
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}}
'''Cornelius "Con" Devitt''' (21 September 1928 – 13 July 2014) was a Scottish-born New Zealand trade unionist.

==Early life and family==
Born in [Greenock](/source/Greenock) in 1928 to Annie (née Muldoon) and Cornelius Devitt, he grew up in [Clydebank](/source/Clydebank). He began working as a plater at a local shipyard and soon became involved in defending workers' rights. After World War II, Devitt served in Egypt with the 1st Battalion [Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders](/source/Argyll_and_Sutherland_Highlanders) for his national service. He emigrated to New Zealand in 1953.<ref name="Herald Scotland">{{cite news | url=http://www.heraldscotland.com/comment/obituaries/con-devitt.24811482 | title=Con Devitt | date=22 July 2014 | work=Herald Scotland | accessdate=8 August 2014 }}</ref>

==Life in New Zealand==
After his arrival in New Zealand, Devitt worked on the building of the [Tasman pulp and paper mill](/source/Tasman_Mill) at [Kawerau](/source/Kawerau). In the 1970s and 1980s, he served as the secretary of the Wellington branch, and then national secretary, of the Boilermakers' Union. During this period, the union was involved in a number of high-profile disputes involving heavy engineering projects—most notably the building of the [BNZ Centre](/source/Aon_Centre_(Wellington)) in Wellington and the expansion of the [Marsden Point Oil Refinery](/source/Marsden_Point_Oil_Refinery) and the pulp and paper mills at [Kinleith](/source/Kinleith_Mill) and Kawerau—and the Wellington and Kawerau branches were deregistered by prime minister of the day [Rob Muldoon](/source/Rob_Muldoon).<ref name="NZ Herald">{{cite news | url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11295765 | title= Hard union head Devitt dies at 86 | date=19 July 2014 | work=New Zealand Herald | accessdate=8 August 2014 | first=Wayne | last=Thompson }}</ref>

He became the head of the New Zealand Trade Union Federation, which later merged into the [New Zealand Council of Trade Unions](/source/New_Zealand_Council_of_Trade_Unions).<ref name="NZ Herald"/>

Devitt died in Wellington in 2014,<ref name="Herald Scotland"/> and his ashes were buried in [Karori Cemetery](/source/Karori_Cemetery).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://wellington.govt.nz/services/community-and-culture/cemeteries/cemeteries-search/details?id=114363&serviceType=AshesBurial |title=Cemeteries search |date= 12 July 2012|website= |publisher=Wellington City Council |accessdate=8 August 2014}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Devitt, Con}}
Category:1928 births
Category:2014 deaths
Category:People from Greenock
Category:Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders soldiers
Category:Scottish emigrants to New Zealand
Category:New Zealand trade unionists
Category:Burials at Karori Cemetery

{{NewZealand-activist-stub}}
{{Trade-unionist-bio-stub}}

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Con Devitt](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Con_Devitt) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Con_Devitt?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.