United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America. Local 171 (Youngstown, Ohio)

The Carpenters' Local 171 was formed in 1886 in Youngstown, Ohio, to protect the interests of carpenters and other skilled workers in related trades. At that time, there were only two firms in Youngstown that hired union men. Pioneer members negotiated with employers for improvements in wages and hours in a non-union and often hostile atmosphere. By 1954, the number of workers in the local who engaged in floor laying and tile installation increased sufficiently to warrant the establishment of a separate local, 892, to deal with conditions peculiar to these trades. The two Locals nevertheless continued to share a building as well as affiliation in the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners. In 1956, Locals 171 and 892 joined with several other local unions from Mahoning and Trumbull Counties in Ohio and Mercer County in Pennsylvania, to form the Carpenters' District Council of Mahoning, Trumbull, and Mercer Counties. In addition, they affiliated with state and national councils such as the Ohio Council of Carpenters.