Welcome to “THE BIGGEST LITTLE CITY in the WORLD” RENO, NV. UA, PLUMBER’S and PIPEFITTERS LOCAL 350.

The saying in Reno is “COME TO RENO ON VACATION AND LEAVE ON PROBATION” The fact is Reno is a good place to have a great time. It is also a great place to live and to work, and I wanted to share a little insight about my little Local.

100 YEARS

Unions in Nevada at the beginning of the 20th Century were being formed by two types of workers - skilled craftsmen and industrial workers. Neavada was the first state in the west to have a labor union, started by miners in Virginia City in 1863. The first craft union in Reno was Carpenters Local No. 971, established in 1902, which in retrospect proved to be the year of critical mass for labor organization in the Truckee Meadows. Electrical Workers Local No. 401 was chartered in 1905.

Ninety national unions including the United Association were affiliated in the early 1900's with the American Federation of Labor. Trade unions were springing to life across the country. A.F.L. President Samuel Gompers encouraged collective bargaining with the eight-hour workday a major goal.

South of Reno in Goldfield, the biggest city in Nevada just after the turn of the century, the International Workers of the World (IWW), better known as the Wobblies, had taken over the mines and organized miners, carpenters, cooks, waiters and even the newsboys on the streets of the boomtown. The union set its own wage rate and posted a notice with which all employers were to comply.

The IWW proved shortlived in Nevada. The Wobblies' 1907 strike in Goldfield attracted considerable press attention and in December, Governor John Sparks (on a false pretext) telegraphed President Theodore Roosevelt of the need for federal troops which were sent in with strikebreakers. It was all over for the IWW in Goldfield, although their rivalry with the A.F.L. continued for ten more years.

Local 350 was granted a charter on October 13, 1906, by the United Association of Journeyman Plumbers, Gas Fitters, Steamfitters and Steam Fitter Helpers of the United States and Canada, the name of the United Association (UA) at that time.

In its October 25, 1906, edition, the Nevada State Journal reported: "Plumbers form union. Affiliate with A.F.L. and start out with good menbership. Has no grievances."

"Nearly every journeyman plumber in Reno met last night at the William Tell house and formed a local union. Organizer W.H. Cox of Sacramento, who works under the dispensation of the United Association of Journetman Plumbers, Gas and Steamfitters Helpers effected the organization. It will be affiliated with the AF of L."

"The following officers were elected for the first year of the local union's exsistence: R.H. Buncel, President; J.S. Carey, Past President; J.V. McCormick, Secretary; W.H. McNulty, Treasurer; Harry Longworth, Sentinel."

"It is started by the members that the local union will have a tendency to elevate the standard of workmanship in Reno. There is no antagonism anticipated to arise between bosses and workers and it is hoped by the members to unionize all the shops in town."

"For the present at least there will be no change in the wage scale and the scale of hours is also entirely satisfactory. A day's work constitutes 8 hours."

"Future meetings will be held every friday at Mannings Hall, provided it can be secured that night."

Mannings Hall must not have been available because early records show Local 350 held its meetings every Wednesday evening at Wilsons Hall on Maple Street in Reno."

Member intiated into Local 350 on October 13, 1906:

J.W. McCormick, 59826, Plumber
W.H. McNulty, 59827, Steam Fitter
George K. Briggs, 59828, Steam Fitter
James Gallagher, 59829, Plumber
J.E. Austin, 59830, Plumber
R.H. Buncel, 59831, Plumber
F.J. Donohue, 59832, Steam Fitter Helper
J.B. Oswald, 59833, Steam Fitter
H.F. Longworth, 59834, Steam Fitter Helper
J.G. O'Neil, 59840, Steam Fitter
W.D. Reed, 59841, Steam Fitter
(initiated January 9, 1907)

Reed is considered a charter member since the practice at that time included all members iniated during a six-month period following issue of the charter.

A couple of years earlier, in 1904, Sparks was formed when the Southern Pacific Railroad moved the entire town of Wadsworth to the southwest end of the Truckee Meadows and created what would become known as the Rail City. With the addition of railroad shops and with Reno's importance as a rail head, the two communities were growing at a fast rate. Local 350 and the area's plumbing and heating enterprises were also expanding in proportion with the community.

Early union committees included the Executive Board, Conference Board and Sick and Visiting. Bid peddling was a problem in the 1920's and a concerted effort was mounted by the union and the employers to stop the practice.

In the early days, although wages were standardized, for the most part, in Reno and Sparks and union shops were doing the majority of the work, there were no fringe benefits as they are now known. Job safety standards did not exist. Vacation pay, retirement plans, hiring halls or health and welfare programs were far off in the future.

As ice was being replaced by refrigeration and coal and wood stoves replaced with oil heat, a new type of worker was growing in prominence in local 350's jurisdiction. The oil burner or refrigeration man, who was sometimes skilled in both fields, was viewed by Local 350 members as someone to be organized. In 1935, a Local 350 auxiliary of refrigeration and oil burner mechanics was established. (This group was finally merged with Local 350 in 1945).

During World War II, wages were frozen for members of the local and some who went to enlist were frozen to their jobs because of the special skills.

Until 1948, Local 350 was a Building Trades Chartered Union. The local then requested a Metal Trades Division and Martin P. Durkin, the United Associated General President, complied with the request. Local 350's charter was changed to read "Building and Metal Trades Branches."

The union's meeting hall and office was located on North Virginia St. during the 1940's. In the early 50's, it was moved to the old E1 Patio Ball Room on the corner of Arlington and Commercial Row, which had been purchased by Carpenters Local 971.

A number of important benefit improvements were placed into effect during the 1950's. A big step toward resolving problems of policing Lake Tahoe was taken when the United Association responded favorably to Local 350's petition for expanded jurisdiction. In 1953, the UA granted Local 350 purview over the entire "Lake Tahoe area to Rainbow Tavern on the west and Echo Summit on the south."

The membership requested that the officers take the necessary steps toward acquisition of our own meeting hall and a Local 350 Building Fund was established in 1954.

The union's first health and welfare plan was negotiated by the Conference Board in 1956 and a 10-cent health and walfare contribution became effective in 1957.

Our Ladies Auxiliary was chartered in 1955. A credit union was established but only lasted for about a year in 1956. Also that year, Nevada's first statewide apprentice contest was held with Gordon Ebner (a fifth-year apprentice with the Savage shop) winning first prize. He was thus eligible to enter the United Association national contest at Purdue University in Indiana.

Our 50th Anniversary was celebrated with a picnic at Bowers Mansion in Washoe Valley in August of 1956. The final event was a tug-of-war between the plumbers and fitters. After drinking beer in the hot sun, this event is not recommended as a social highlight of a union picnic.

An exclusive hiring hall was negotiated into the union agreement in 1961. It replaced the old referral system that had proven almost unenforceable.

The Building Fund was merged into our newly-formed Associated Building Corporation (A.B.C.) in 1960 and the following year, we formed the P and E Trust with Electrical Workers Local 401.

We moved to our own building on 4th Street in Reno. The A.B.C. purchased a lot on Dickerson Road in Reno at about the same time with plans to build a business office and meeting hall at that location when financing permitted.

The local started an annual New Year's Eve dance in the mid-1960's. Two were held at the El Cortez Hotel and one at the VFW Hall. They were curtailed when our business manager, Harold Stanley, passed away. By the mid-1960's, we had made considerable improvements in our health and welfare program. We were able to do away with the Local 350 Blood Bank as the service was now covered by our insurance plan. In 1968, we established a part-time insurance claims office in our union hall on 4th Street.

Our vacation saving plan was started in 1961 at 10 cents per hour. Employers gave stamps for each hour of work on payday.

Until 1966, when a member passed away we "passed the hat" on the job and at meetings. After that time, our Self-insured Death Benefit Plan went into effect. One hundred and twenty-four death benefits were paid through 1989.

Local 350's many social functions have included Labor Day parades, dinner dances and fund raisers. The 1967 Donkey Basketball game between the Sparks Police Department and Local 350 played at Sparks High School probaly did more to set back our community relations (at least with the Sparks Police) than anything an anti-union person could have planned.

The game was rigged in our favor because the donkey trainer gave us the critters that kicked. The game was stopped twice to allow ambulances to haul two young police officers to the hospital (knocked out cold as a wedge!) Local 350 won the game and the proceeds.

Needless to say, traffic tickets given to our members in Sparks increased for about six months until, with the help of our good friend Chief Tom Hill, relations smoothed out again.

Property was purchased in Sparks in 1960 by our Joint Apprenticeship Committee for a Training Center and by 1968 the first Union Training Center in Northern Nevada was completed.

In mid-1969, our members started participating in the Plumbers and Pipefitters National Pension Plan. As of 1989, 172 members or their beneficiaries were receiving or had received pension benefits. Some 156 locals were participating in the plan by that time.

Also in 1969, the United Association awarded Local 350 territorial jurisdiction of all areas considered open territorial. (Our 1906 charter from the United Association granted local 350 Washoe County Only.) With the expanded jurisdiction official, the local's reach extended to the Utah state line. We were also granted White Pine County. (All of the area had been policed by Local 350 but we could not enforce our wage rate prior to the granting of jurisdiction and had problems enforcing travel card rules as provided in the United Association Constitution.)

A new federal credit union was formed in 1972 and construction of a new business office commenced early that year on an acre of property our A.B.C. purchased from the J.A.T.C. on Greg Street in Sparks.

When the new office opened in the fall of 1973, it housed the union business office, credit union and health and welfare office. In 1974, we went to a self-administered health and welfare program.

In 1979, our Apprentice Committee increased the size of the training center from 5,000 to 15,000 square feet and our union park and picnic grounds were completed.

An Annuity Pension Plan was established in 1980 and showed assets of more than $2 million by the end of the decade. The union's health, welfare and pension plans vastly improved over time. In 1985, the members of Local 611, McGill, Nevada, voted to consolidate with Local 350. Local 611 had been chartered by the United Association in 1916. Its members worked on the Kennecott Copper Company property at McGill, Ely and Ruth, Nevada.

In 1988, Local 350 affiliated with Northern California/Northern Nevada Pipe Trades District Council No. 51 which was chartered by the United Association that year. TwentyOne local unions in California plus Local 350 funded the council with a 15-cent per hour contribution which enabled the council to employ a full time business manager and three organizers. A large amount of work was generated for UA members as a result of District Council No. 51's program.

Our Bidder information and Directory Service (B.I.D.S.) was started in 1987, patterned after a successful program created by Local 159 in Martinez and Local 343 in Vallejo, California. With the B.I.D.S. program we were able to gather information regarding new projects to relay to our signatory contractors to facilitate their bidding on the work.

In 1988, Local 350 established the Flow-Tec Service and Repair Association with 14 plumbing, heating, ventilation and air conditioningcontractors participating. The program advertised and promoted the service and repair sector of our industry with radio and newspaper ads and referred calls to signatory contractors. The idea for this program came from Local 467 in San Mateo, which, along with Local 393 in San Jose, was very helpful in starting up this important service for our contractors, which in turn creates jobs for our members.

Members of Local 350 have a lot to be proud of in celebrating their centennial. The union is well-established in the state. Over the years, the members have created excellent fringe benefits and training programs for themselves. With their training, they are able to earn a good living and protect themselves and their families through benefit programs which they, as union members, have provided. Looking back to 1906, there have been tremendous changes in tools and materials used in the pipe trades industry.

Laws to regulate unions were unheard of in 1906 and the makeup of Nevada was not comparable with today. What remains the same as in 1906 are the reasons to unite and to organize, for workers to speak with one voice. Decent wages, working conditions, health and safety concerns are as important today as a century ago.

We should be grateful to the brothers who organized the local and obtained a charter and to all the other brothers and sisters who worked hard to better the future for all of us who earn our living in the trade.

The preceding was revised from material celebrating the 83rd anniversary of the union in 1989.