1972-12 December IBEW Journal.pdf - International Brotherhood of ...

A L()cal
Celebr-ates
Its sUth
Anniver-sar-y
Editors' Note: As many 01 our loclil
unions are approachIng. or have even
reached, fhe;r BOth Anniversary as
chartered locals of the 18EW, we havI!
c:hosen to print Ihe following artic/e,
"80 Years 01 Growlh," the sloty 01
local 17, Detroit, by Business Manager
Peter J. McManus, as /I typifies Ihe
e."y struggles 01 the older ISEW loca/s
and their determination to exist and
progress .
• The story of Local 17 begins
in 1892, when President Henry
Miller of the National Brotherhood
of Electrical Workers ( BEW) arrived
in Detroit. He rode ill on the
bumpers of a frl!ight train because
lhe infant labor movement could nol
afford to supply its leaders with the
salaries and expense money that arc
now taken for gmnlcli.
Miller, only 43 years old when he
died, for years after his trip to
Detroit, organized the city's electrical
workers. On March 11, 1892,
Local 17 was chartcred by the Nationul
BrOlherhood of Elcctrical
Workers. A s its name indicatcs, it
was the 17th NBEW local in the
country. Today, Local 17 is one of
only a handful of the original 17
locals that urc still nclive.
Honored guests enjoying the celebration are International President Charles
H. Pillard, ~nter,