United Brotherhood of Carpenters & Joiners of America. Local 180

History

In 1881, the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners formed as a national trade union; San Francisco's Local 22 organized the following year. In May 1899, 52 carpenters in Vallejo applied for a local charter and the next month held their first meeting as Local 180 of the carpenters union. M.B. Grace was acting chairman of the organizing group and J.A. Andrews presided at its first meeting. Later that year, Local 180 joined with the Shipwrights, Joiners & Boatbuilders Union to form the Trades and Labor Council of Vallejo, a group now known as the Solano County Central Labor Council.

In its early years (1899) Local 180 was successful in obtaining the eight-hour day and soon expanded its role to offer a health and welfare plan (1900), one of the first of its kind in the country. Later it represented carpenters at Mare Island's military installation and others working in the fast-growing Solano County.

Business agents have been William Leshe, 1949 to 1973; Joseph McGrogan (1973-1989), Gary Ross (1989-1994), and Curtis Kelly (1994-present). * Percy Lunn preceded Leshe as business agent.

* the title is now Senior Field Representative