Our History

On November 14, 1917, Local Union 400 was chartered in Asbury Park, New Jersey to charter members: Albert Anderson, David H. O'Rielly, Rutherford B. Brown, Charles S. Ferris, Frank O. Brice, George N. DeWitt, Raymond C. Hendrickson, Beverly Cord, Judson Mulford, Russell Holbrook, Elisha Newman, John H. Bind, August Stettre, Lawrence Brice and Joseph Y. Jones. The charter describes us as a mixed local.

Work jurisdiction consisted of any areas in the electrical field where a man could find employment. Unfortunately, no charter members survive today. Territorial jurisdiction was halfway to Atlantic City, Trenton and Perth Amboy, the IBEW locals that bordered us. Underdeveloped roads and means of transportation limited travel to areas and a local could claim any areas its members manned.

The local grew in its early years; by the mid twenties there were about one hundred members. The older generation could well remember the low wages and horrid work conditions that had spawned the union movements of the late nineteenth century.

In 1925, the workweek consisted of five and a half days, at a wage of $55.00 per week. Foreman received $65.00. Payday was Saturday at noon. Apprenticeship was four years, with all training being received on the job. The bulk of the work was wiring houses. The large jobs, what today is commercial work, were few and far between, with contractors from north Jersey such as Lightening and Fischbach and Moore doing them. In the late twenties, Asbury Park built the convention hall and the casino, and in West Long Branch, Shadow Lawn (presently Wilson Hall at Monmouth College) was built after fire destroyed the original structure. These jobs employed large numbers of the brothers.

All things were going well for the local until 1929. The Great Depression didn't affect the Jersey shore immediately, but when it hit a year later, everything stopped. The local almost ceased to exist. There was no work. Members were losing their homes, and dues, as small as they were, became impossible to pay.  The local dropped to about eighteen men.

The work picture began to pick up in the late thirties because of the governments preparations for World War II. Work at the forts provided much needed employment. Most of the work meant traveling for the brothers. Local 516 had chartered and now had Fort Monmouth and Sandy Hook. Camp Evans and the Lakehurst hangers were built at this time.  The receipt from paid dues, was and still is the only recognized membership document.

By the end of the forties the local had grown back to its pre-depression numbers with membership approaching one hundred. Industry began to move into the territory with Brockway Glass, Nestles, Toms River Chemical, and 3M being built. Even with these jobs, most of the work was on the road. Classes were established to supplement on the job training.

In the mid-fifties, the local established health and welfare benefits for its members by entering into the joint coverage with the other IBEW locals of the state. We remained with this coverage until 1984. Our initial solo venture into health coverage was through insurance companies.  After just a few years, we abandoned the insurance for our present trustee administered, self-insured plan.

By the early sixties, work was available, but still on the road. Many brothers commuted by train to Local 3 in Now York, others car-pooled to sister locals in the state. Business manager Leatham became ill and was succeeded by Leonard Jacobsen.

The nuclear power plant at Oyster Creek began with the construction of the environmental tower, which had to be monitoring the atmosphere five years prior to the plant going on line. The power house, at its peak in 1966 and 1967, employed over 500 electricians. For the first time in its fifty years of existence, the local could employ all its members as well as traveling brothers.

Work continued to grow through the late sixties. Apprentices were taken on a regular basis and the local grew in size. Operations continued out of the Corlies Avenue office while the new hall was under construction. On Christmas Eve, 1969, a fire struck the office, destroying almost all the locals’ records, but our charter survived. The union moved into our present hall in 1972. Business manager Tate had been appointed an International representative and held this position jointly with his business manager’s job until 1972, when he went entirely to the International. James Gratton became business manager and appointed Frank Van Dusan as an agent along with AI West. For the next two decades the work situation would remain good, except for a lean period in the middle of 1976. In this year, we would establish our annuity fund.

On October 1, 1983 we merged with Local 730, a sign local from Newark. This merger gave us sign jurisdiction to all New Jersey local unions in the north.

Today, under the direction of Business Manager, Peter Geronimo, our future looks to be bright as we continue to serve the needs of the Jersey Shore.

Edited from an article written for our 75th Anniversary Dinner Dance by Nick Mihalic. Some of the information has now changed due to decisions made since then.

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