Local 54 History

Thirteen men petitioned for a Charter with the Tin, Sheet Iron, Galvanized Iron and Cornice Workers International Association and were designated as Local Union No. 54 of Houston, Texas. The Charter, bearing the name, and dated May 7th, 1890, is proudly displayed in the Auditorium of the Union Hall along with the other Charters issued as our International changed their title during the past years.

According to our records, these men acted as a committee and designated a Business Agent as needed. The records reflect that they all were employed and served as officers of the Union when called upon.

These were the horse and wagon days and most of the organized shops were located in the inner city area. The members of Local 54 met every Monday of the month and all business, including dues collection, was performed at these meetings. Attendance was mandatory and roll call was taken at each meeting. A fine of $1.00 was placed on absent members. These brothers were aggressive and forceful and laid the ground work for the dynamic local of today.

The years of the Great Depression were trying times for the Local Union, but during this time the age of air conditioning was beginning. The first air conditioned building to be built in Houston was the S. H. Kress Building. The Neal Esperson Building was then totally renovated for air conditioning. So began the Worlds Most Air Conditioned City in which the members and contractors of Local No. 54 played a major roll.

Architectural and HVAC shops continued to prosper along with the Union, which was now composed of approximately 200 members, until the war years of World War II. Many of the members answered the “call to arms” and those that did not, served their country by working in defense plants, ship yards and on defense projects. When the war ended and our members in service returned, the Local boomed to over five hundred members.

Houston was growing and Local 54 met the challenge and continued to grow and prosper. In 1950, Local 54 moved into its new Building and Meeting Hall at 3011 W. Dallas St.

The Local Union negotiated a Health and Welfare plan in 1955 to provide medical care for its members and their dependents. A burial Fund was established in 1957. This was a benevolent fund supported by assessments from fellow members on a voluntary basis.

The Astrodome was a challenge to the Sheet Metal Workers. It was the largest single volume of space ever to have been air conditioned and members of Local 54 installed the system. On the same project, the sheet metal workers provided the expertise on the special siding, the Lucite skylights (some 4,596 of them) and the miscellaneous metal work. Five different contractors were involved in this project. It was complete in 1965. Later in the year of 1976, the skylights were removed and an aluminum skin was applied over the entire roof. This work was also performed by members of Local 54.

The Oil Boom Years were an exciting time for Local 54 and the City of Houston. The membership of the Local had grow to over a thousand members and several new contractors were signatory to the Local. Skyscrapers were appearing on the skyline and tower cranes were everywhere. Such projects as the Texas Medical Center, the First City Tower and others too numerous to list, were being built. The membership grew and the members prospered during these times.

During these prosperous times, the officers of the Local negotiated a Retirement Plan for its members. Established in 1962, the Retirement Plan flourished under the guidance of a Joint Trust Committee, which provided members with a decent income at retirement. In 1970, the Union established s second retirement plan with the International Association, now known as the National Pension Fund. The two plans were merged in 1989, thus providing a comfortable retirement and COLA payment for retired members. Even though the Local Union was enjoying full employment and grown to a membership of 2,000 plus, the officers of Local Union No. 54 had the foresight to implement the SASMI Plan offered by the International Association. The SASMI Plan was a form of underemployment insurance which helped many of the members survive the bad times we experienced during high unemployment.

The year of 1979 brought about the merger of Local Union No. 54 with Galveston Local Union 144, a vibrant and historical Local of its own, which was chartered in the year 1906. During the early years the two unions worked together and established a skilled work force of sheet metal workers to maintain the job opportunities in the joint surrounding areas. This merger increased Local 54’s jurisdiction to twenty-five counties.

A new phase of sheet metal construction came into being with the “South Texas Project”. The work was performed under the Nuclear Project Agreement and employed over 1,200 members, including 160 apprentices at its peak, increasing the membership to 3,000.

Along with this new type of sheet metal work came a revival of architectural sheet metal with the construction of the Republic Bank Building. Local 54 members demonstrated outstanding craftsmanship in installing seventy three tons of lead coated copper on the Gothic style fifty six story building. The contractor of record was Seline Sheet Metal Works, Inc. our oldest firm at the time.

On May 19, 1989, the Officers of Local 54 purchased the Apprentice Training Center located at 900 W. 34th St., just North of the 610 Loop in northwest Houston. Local 54 celebrated its’ 100th Birthday, May 7, 1990, by dedicating the new Apprentice Training Center, a dream come true for its members, past to present. The theme of the Centennial Celebration of Local 54 was GENERATIONS OF SHEET METAL CRAFTSMAN as depicted throughout the history of the Local from father to son to grandson, both contractors and members alike.

A short time thereafter, the Union sold their building at 3011 W. Dallas, and moved into the Apprentice Training Center in October 1991, which they jointly occupy.

The early 1990’s were very difficult times for the members of Local 54. The economy slowed and unemployment rose at an unprecedented level. But it the late 90’s, things turned around. The union employers gained a stronghold in the Texas Medical Center by securing jobs and employing hundreds of sheet metal workers. That trend still continues today. Then came the year 2000, with plans to build several new sports venues in the Houston area. Union contractors were awarded the new Reliant Stadium, home of NFL’s Houston Texans, the Toyota Center, home of the World Champion Houston Rockets and the Hilton Hotel, the only union hotel in Houston. Local 54 members enjoyed full employment and made decent economic advances during these times.

On April 1, 2002, General President Michael J. Sullivan merged Sheet Metal Workers Local Union No. 196, Orange, Texas into Local 54, adding an additional 10 counties to their jurisdiction. This merger added a highly skilled industrial base of sheet metal craftsman and contractors, that performed mostly industrial and marine work in the Golden Triangle and along the Texas Gulf Coast.

Today, SMW Local 54 Training program is working diligently to transform its training programs to keep up with technological advances in the industry. The Union continues to represent more than 1600 members to date through collective bargaining and contract enforcement so their members can work and live with the dignity and respect they deserve.