Memphis Linemen Union Information

The history of the IBEW in Memphis, Tennessee stretches back to January 6, 1892 when the National Brotherhood of Electrical Workers First Grand President Henry Miller, who was the founding father of the brotherhood, traveled to Memphis from St. Louis and organized NBEW, Local 6 to fight for safer working conditions and better wages for Electrical workers in Memphis. In those early years the unionized electrical industry faced stiff opposition, particularly in the southern states, and Local Union 6 later went defunct due to a lack of membership. Over the years prior to Local 474 there were three additional Locals that were chartered and later went defunct, those being Local 14, Local 50 and Local 192. When the brotherhood expanded into Canada the NBEW changed it's name to the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers in 1899. IBEW Local 474 received it's charter on January 13, 1906 and has since grown to be a diverse Local union representing workers in varying industries other then construction such as electrical manufacturing, government services and electrical cooperatives.