Local 242 History

     Shortly after the formation of the National Brotherhood of Electrical Workers first union in St. Louis, Missouri, on November 21, 1881, a group of inside wireman and lineman working for contractors, the Zenith City Telephone Company and the Duluth General Electric Company formed an independent union known as  Local 25. Local 25 functioned for several years until an organizer came to Duluth via the “side door pullman.” On August 20^th, 1899 the group was placed under the charter of the National Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and became known as IBEW Local #31.

    On April 1^st, 1976 the Local Union #31 was divided, with Local #31 remaining as Utility Workers and the Construction Inside Wireman becoming Local #242 under a new Charter.  Both are still in existence.  The newly flagged Local #242 represented inside construction, wireman, electrical maintenance workers, radio/TV, and manufacturing groups.

    On June 20th, 1902, Local 276 was created in Superior, WI. 82 years later Local 276 amalgamated with Local 242 and Local 953. Local 242 took in the inside wiremen while Local 953 took in the remaining Utility Workers.

IBEW History

     By 1891, after sufficient interest was shown in a national union, a convention was held on November 21, 1891 in St. Louis. At the convention, the IBEW, then known as the National Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (NBEW), was officially formed. The American Federation of Labor gave the NBEW a charter as an AFL affiliate on December 7, 1891. The union's official journal, The Electrical Worker, was first published on January 15, 1893, and has been published ever since. At the 1899 convention in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the union's name was officially changed to the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.

      Today the IBEW is 750,000+ strong in every aspect of the electrical industry. Serving the United States, Canada, Panama, Quam, and several Caribbean island nations. Anywhere from powerhouses, Businesses, Homes, Solar and wind fields, and everything in-between, the IBEW is there!