 He was elected Recording Secretary of Local Lodge 1363 in 1948, and President of the Lodge in 1949.Union officials quickly recognized Winpisinger's talent and appointed him to the National Field Staff, as a Special Representative, in 1951, and assigned him to organizing tasks in Ohio, Michigan and Pennsylvania.IAM President Al Hayes promoted him to a position in Washington, D.C. in 1955 to work on a joint organizing program with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.