Existing comment:
The Founding
"I am more pleased than it is possible for me to give expression that your Nat. organization has been brought into existence."
-- Samuel Gompers to J.T. Kelly, 1891
In 1891, ten electrical worker delegates met in St. Louis determined to improve the lives of those working at a new and dangerous craft -- the electrical trade. Trade unionism was still in its early stages, but these founders envisioned a strong national organization built on a widespread base of locals. The union they formed, the National Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, countered instability in the industry and created a culture of safety, skill improvement and solidarity that sustained them in the difficult early years and lasts to this day. |