Hunter Poisal Wharton was an American labor union leader. He was born on October 20, 1900, and died on November 14, 1980. Wharton began working in Pittsburgh and joined the International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) in 1926. He served as president of the IUOE from 1962 to 1975 and played a leading role in getting the Occupational Health and Safety Act passed in 1970. Wharton also worked on increasing construction of housing for elderly people and recruiting more African Americans into the union.