United Electrical, Radio & Machine Workers of America, Unity Lodge, Local 251 Records
Scope and Contents
The collection consists of a Membership Dues Record Book of Local 251, with entries from 1937 to 1948; a large scrapbook of newspaper clippings and bulletins involving a strike of the union members at the West Hartford plant of the Pratt & Whitney Division of Niles-Bement-Pond from March to August 1946; the local's charter; an insurance policy on the schedule of positions; per capita and supply payment reports; and an agreement of the local to affiliate with Amalgamated Local 405 of the International Union of United Automobile, Aircraft & Agricultural Implement Workers of America.
Dates
- 1937-1948
Access
The collection is open and available for research.
Restrictions on Use
Permission to publish from these Records must be obtained in writing from both the University of Connecticut Libraries and the owner(s) of the copyright.
History
United Electrical, Radio & Machine Workers of America, Unity Lodge, Local 251, represented workers at the Pratt & Whitney Division of Niles-Bement-Pond in West Hartford, Connecticut. Its predecessor union was established in 1933-1934 as the Machine Tool and Co-workers of America, Unity Lodge. In March 1937 the Unity Lodge affiliated with the United Automobile Workers of America to become UAW Local 348.
The charter for Local 251 was established on October 3, 1938. Local 251 became part of the Amalgamated Local 405 of the International Union of United Automobile, Aircraft and Agricultural Implement Workers of America on March 19, 1948.
Pratt & Whitney Company was founded in 1860 by Francis Pratt (1827-1902) and Amos Whitney (1832-1920), who met while working as machinists for the Phoenix Iron Works. The first products they produced included silk winders, guns, lathes, and drills. The company formally incorporated in 1869. By the end of the 1800s the company branched into the production of planters, screw machines, die sinkers, wrenches, gages, weighing machines, and more.
In 1879 the company hired Harvard professor William A. Rogers and Stevens Institute of Technology graduate George M. Bond to begin work to establish the standard inch. This led to the important development of the Rogers-Bond Comparator, accurate to one fifty-thousandth of an inch. This research helped P & W develop the mass production of interchangeable parts.
In 1901 Pratt & Whitney Company was purchased by the Niles-Bement-Pond Company. By that time they concentrated on the manufacture of machine tools, small tools and gauges. In 1925 the company began producing aircraft engines but by 1929 this function moved to another plant in East Hartford and became unaffiliated with the P & W Division of Niles-Bement-Pond Company, yet had paid for the rights to use the Pratt & Whitney name.
In 1945 Niles-Bement-Pond Company was acquired by Chandler Evans. Chandler Evans merged with Penn-Texas Corporation in 1955. Penn-Texas Corporation was renamed in 1958 as Fairbanks Whitney Corporation after it merged with Fairbanks Morse & Company. By 1960 the Pratt & Whitney Division employed over 2500 workers and produced more than 2000 items.
Extent
2 Linear Feet
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
Materials associated with the United Electrical, Radio & Machine Workers of America, Unity Lodge, Local 251, which represented workers at the Pratt & Whitney Machine Tools Division of Niles-Bement-Pond in West Hartford, Connecticut, from 1938 to 1948. Collection consists of a membership dues book, a large scrapbook of newspaper clippings and bulletins involving a strike of the union members at the West Hartford plant from March to August 1946, the local's charter, and other administrative records.
Organization
The materials are organized chronologically.
Custodial History
Materials were in the possession of Mr. Richard Lenzi of Columbia, Connecticut, who received them as a gift from the President of the local in the 1990s.
Acquisition Information
The records were donated by Mr. Richard Lenzi in 2003.
Bibliography
- Administrative records Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Connecticut (state) Subject Source: Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names
- Financial records Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Fliers (printed matter) Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Labor unions Subject Source: Fast
- Newspapers Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Posters Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Press releases Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Publications (documents) Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- West Hartford (inhabited place) Subject Source: Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names
- minutes (administrative records) Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Title
- United Electrical, Radio & Machine Workers of America, Unity Lodge, Local 251 Records
- Status
- Published
- Author
- Archives & Special Collections staff
- Date
- 2003 September
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Archives and Special Collections, University of Connecticut Library Repository
University of Connecticut Library
405 Babbidge Road Unit 1205
Storrs Connecticut 06269-1205 USA US
860-486-2524
archives@uconn.edu
