Local 89 History

The first organizational meeting of Insulators & Asbestos Workers Local 89 took place on June 3, 1928. The meeting was held at the Building Trades Headquarters in Trenton, New Jersey. Asbestos Workers International President Joseph A. Mullvaney was present to conduct the meeting. President Mulvanney addressed those present on the advancement of Unionism through Organizing. Mulvanney also assured those present that the Building Trades as well as the Central Labor Organization would be behind the new Asbestos Worker Local that was being formed in the city of Trenton. Little did those (8) eight men present that summer evening so long ago realize what a legacy they were about to begin. Up until that point the city of Trenton and the surrounding area was serviced by Asbestos Workers Local 14, based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. At the advent of the 20th Century it became apparent that the work load in the Trenton area could support its own Asbestos Worker Union. The men present at that first organizational meeting had the courage and drive to petition the International Association of Insulators and Asbestos Workers to allow them to create Asbestos Workers Local 89. Trenton was already considered an industrial giant with its many manufacturing plants and steam generation was used in every one of those plants to drive the machinery that helped make the city of Trenton the fledging industrial giant that it was steadily becoming. The names of those (8) men who would (1) one week later become the Charter members of Asbestos Workers Local 89 were:

George L. Moffett Jr.
Anthony Theer
Michael Baumgartner
Michael Krebs
A. G. Maxwell
Claude Maxwell
Jacob Oswald
John Baumgartner

The organizational meeting was adjourned and the first regular Union meeting of the new Asbestos Workers Local 89 Union was scheduled for (8) eight days later.

The first meeting took place on June 11, 1928 and an election of officers took place. Michael Baumgartner was elected as the first President of Local 89 and an election was held for the other offices. Shortly thereafter James Quinn was appointed as the first Business Agent of Asbestos Workers Local 89. The young Local was up and running and never looked back. Work was slow through the Great Depression of the 1930’s and the years during World War II were not kind to the Union Building Trades movement as a whole but somehow the Members of Asbestos Workers Local 89 found a way to keep their organization moving forward and growing along the way. The post War years saw the Central New Jersey area take off with development as the Nation recovered from the devastating effect the War effort had on the economy and Local 89 not only survived but flourished during this time. The Local continued to grow and we formed our first Apprentice Training School in the 1960’s. By the 1980’s we were continuing to grow and towards the end of the 80’s we were given the Jurisdiction of the former Local 85 in Atlantic City, New Jersey and the Casino Industry offered many new opportunities for Members of Local 89 to gain employment.

Today we continue to be a thriving Building Trades Union providing our members with work opportunities and Benefits second to none. Local 89 moved into its present headquarters in Trenton, N.J. in July of 2003 and now we operate out of a state of the art facility as well as conduct our training program in our new on site ultra modern Training Center which insures our members that Local 89 will continue to thrive as we move forward into the 21st Century. Local 89 continues to advance our agenda through the principals of collective bargaining while ensuring our Member’s rights are never compromised. The bond the Brothers and Sisters of Asbestos Workers Local 89 share with each other will always be based on the concept of a fair wage and a safe work environment with the intent of leaving this Trade better off for those that follow us in the future, never forgetting those that came before us who fought and worked so diligently to create what we have today!