Scranton Stories is an oral history video series featuring 33 individuals who have lived or worked in the city of Scranton. These videos are part of the larger project, Scranton’s Story, Our Nation’s Story, which is a community-wide exploration of themes such as history, belonging, and identity. DiscoverNEPA will share these unique, personal “Scranton Stories” in the lead-up to the 250th anniversary of the United States in 2026.
Championing Labor and Community in Scranton
As a youth, Bill Cockerill would listen to his father speak at the dinner table about the myriad union meetings he had to attend as a business agent for the International Association of Machinists. Today, as a 49-year member of the Stagehand and Projectionists Union, Bill has his own network of local union representatives that keep him heavily involved in local labor causes.
He serves as labor liaison at the United Way and on the Board of Agency for Community Empowerment (ACE) which runs Head Start programs, where hundreds of local children are provided meals. Through his work at the Scranton Cultural Center, he has met celebrities like Barbara Eden, Barry Bostwick, and Ted Kennedy.
Bill is proud of Scranton’s nationally important role in the field of theatre, starting in the early vaudeville days. He acknowledges the importance that both Scranton and the local labor movement have played in U.S. history and hopes to see future generations benefit by ensuring that social programs for children and the elderly are consistently well-funded.
