A Brief History of IBEW Local 1158

Local 1158 was chartered by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers in 1938, over seventy years ago. When formed, LOCAL 1158 had approximately sixty members working in the electrical industry. From 1938 through early in the 1970's Local 1158 continued to grow while representing workers in plants exclusively engaged in electrical manufacturing and assembly.

During the 1970's we expanded our horizons and began organizing workers in various other work environments some with ties to the electrical industry, but others in businesses with no connection to electrical manufacturing.

Today Local 1158 consists of 3000 members working in both the private sector and public sector. Our membership is composed of both white collar and blue collar employees working in manufacturing, communications, utilities, service industries, food industries and various municipal and county governmental facilities.. We are the largest Union representing a broad spectrum of employees in Essex County and also represent these same titled employees in various New Jersey municipalities.

In 1998 we also expanded our geographic borders and now represent more than 700 private sector employees working in eastern Pennsylvania.

For more than twenty years Local 1158 has covered, under contract, over three hundred employees of the Passaic Valley Sewerage Commissioners, Newark, New Jersey, the second largest sewerage facility in the United States.

While many Unions have seen their membership dwindle LOCAL 1158 has seen a steady increase in membership because it provides strong leadership that gains superior contracts for its members.

Since 1970 we have also provided future security for our private sector members through a self insured multi-employer pension fund that is financed strictly by employer contributions. In 2000 we also created an annuity fund for our members and have been successful in recruiting employers to provide this additional benefit to our members.

Both private and public sector members participate in LOCAL 1158's Welfare Fund, which provides Dental, Vision, Chiropractic, and Disability benefits at no cost to our members.

Local 1158 now employees five full time representatives who are all skilled in servicing members in a variety of work environments and retains a large New Jersey law firm to handle member's legal problems.