About IBEW 90

New Haven, Connecticut was first chartered into the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers on December 16, 1892, to be known as Local Union No. 20, only to become defunct on July I, 1894. Local Union No. 20 was chartered over to Greater New York, NY, on July 3, 1899, and was eventually amalgamated with Local 3 on August 9, 1934. On the first day of January, 1900, 15 electricians desiring to be organized into the IBEW became the listed electrical tradesman on an IBEW charter, which granted to Local 90 all of the inside jurisdiction in the city of New Haven and vicinity.

The member's names on that charter read as follows:

Francis J. Horan                H. S. Arnold

William J. Dobbs               Edward Moran

Lewis Fairchild                   Patrick Moran

Michael Reynolds              Geo. H. Graham

Samuel Johnson                 Charles Preston             

Philip Reilly                         William Cannon

Carlo Barransconi               Frank W. Tanner

J. G. Reiderick

The early years were filled with struggles for these men, both from inside the IBEW with divided factions (Reid-Murphy and McNulty-Collins) and from outside of the organization. These members tried to prove to the community that unions were not made up of "slugs" and "ruffians," but were in fact skilled tradesmen who deserved respect and a better quality of life for their families.

The 1920s and the 1930s were difficult times for Local 90, yet the Union continued to organize and the membership continued to grow. In the 1930s Local 90's jurisdiction had moved beyond New Haven and now reached out to the following communities: West Haven to Orange, Derby, Ansonia, Bethany, Hamden, and North Branford to the Old Saybrook line. Times were hard on working men and women. One section of Connecticut had been granted an IBEW Charter on four separate occasions, starting with Local 344 in 1903 to 1905, Local 590 in 1919, Local 543 in 1920, and Local 260 in 1928 to 1936. In 1936 the jurisdiction of New London, Connecticut, became part of Local 90, bringing towns all along the shoreline from Groton to West Haven under one banner for the first time. Only a short two years later, Local 90 would again expand to protect the best interests of the IBEW here in Connecticut.

Macys, New Haven, Connecticut 1963 projection February 13, 1938, Local 90 merged with its sister local to the north, Local 642, based in Meriden, Connecticut. Local 642 had received its charter from the IBEW on April 3, 1917, and its jurisdiction consisted of New Haven, Cheshire, Meriden and Middletown. At some point while Local 90 was busy organizing its jurisdiction, our brothers to the far north in Hartford's Local 35, with the help of the International office, in a bloodless coup annexed Middletown away from New Haven's jurisdiction alas for evermore.

Local 90 enjoyed its First Annual Scroll Dinner on September 27, 1952. The Local then progressed to see its pension plan started on October 1, 1962.

Holding its first election in the new Labor Temple on June 20, 1967, many of our members saw employment at the CT Yankee Atomic Power Co. in Haddam Neck, the Connecticut Mental Health Hospital, a multi-million dollar Field House at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in New London, Millstone Nuclear Power Station Unit One in Waterford, International Silver in Meriden, and the Armstrong Rubber Co. in New Haven. Because of this construction in the late 1960s, many of our members enjoyed fruitful employment. Starting the 1970s Local 90 saw Millstone II near completion and the commencement of site work at Millstone III. Construction of Millstone III was welcome in 1975, as work in the area was less than previously anticipated.

On October 1, 1977, Local 90 witnessed its last amalgamation to date - that being with other brothers from Local 37 of New Britain, Connecticut, bringing such towns as New Britain, Bristol, Southington, East Berlin, Milldale, Plymouth, Terryville, Newington and Kensington into Local 90's jurisdiction. Local 37 had received its charter on December 23, 1892. The mergers in Local 90 history, all done out of necessity at the time, have in fact created a financially sound organization with a proud and loyal membership.

Starting in January of 1985, after many years of struggle at the negotiation table, Local 90 finally realized its long-desired dream of an Annuity Plan. Millstone III saw its completion in June 1986, going on line ahead of schedule. This was made possible with the help of IBEW brothers from around the country who came to Local 90--at one-point 1500 electricians were employed at Millstone Point. The end of that project was the end of an era--an era that allowed IBEW working men and women to come to Local 90 and earn a good living for their families, an era starting in 1966 at the CT Yankee Atomic Power station right through Millstone I, II, and III, ending in 1986.

Local 90 faced some very difficult times through the 1990s, many times relying on other IBEW Locals around the nation to supply much-needed employment. Those times are now behind us and the 21st Century is our future. Our second hundred years appear to be very promising, and we must always remember to be open to change, to educate the membership to all forms of advanced technologies, continue to organize and never forget our past.

We also had periods of excellent employment during the 1990s with the typical inside construction cycles.

In the year 2000, Local 90 celebrated its 100th anniversary with a gala affair held at the Omni Hotel Ballroom in New Haven. It was a grand time, attended by many dignitaries from labor, management and the political arena. But none were more important to the members present than the attendance of the IBEW's International President Edwin Hill, International Secretary Jeremiah J. O'Connor and International Vice President Frank Carroll.

In December 2002, after a long struggle, Labor Realty (which was a corporation formed by six members of the local building trades) lost through eminent domain the home we had enjoyed since 1967 at 45 Water Street in New Haven, Connecticut. In March of 2003 we moved into our new home here at 2 North Plains Industrial Road in Wallingford, Connecticut.

In the year 2005, Local 90 celebrated its 105th year in existence. We celebrated by holding a 25-year Member Pin Presentation on May 7, 2005, at the Aqua-Turf Club in Plantsville, CT. Second District VIP Frank Carroll, International Representative Brian Maher, and Business Manager Kenneth King made the presentations. The master of Ceremonies was Local 90 President Frank Halloran. A grand time was had by all in attendance. Union Forever!