By Frank Passic
Happy Labor Day to all our workers, and enjoy the day off. This day is for you! As we observe Labor Day Monday, we remember the history of another Albion factory union formed during World War II. The Lonergan Manufacturing Company at 704 N. Clark St. produced oil burning space heaters and water heaters. During the War, production was switched to ordnance production for the armed services.
In April 1941, Lonergan workers formed a union affiliated with the Stove Mounters International Union, known here as Local 5, American Federation of Labor. Elections were held with John Surman of Indiana representing the international union. Elected locally were: James Greer, president; Clare Alder, vice-president; David Weidner, financial Secretary; David Weidner; recording secretary; Iva Yarger, treasurer. The senior committee consisted of Roland Rossa, Carl Humphrey, and Beryl Luttenton. Trustees were Mariam Morton, Floyd Porter, and Archie Taylor (later recording secretary). Union meetings were held the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month on the third floor of the Moose Lodge building, 109 ½ W. Porter St.
The new Union held numerous meetings with Company management, and a contract was signed on May 22, 1941 which spelled out various wages and work condition agreements. After the War commenced, the contract was re-negotiated and an agreement was signed in June, 1942 whereby Union members waived double time for Sunday work while the Company was on War production. The Union was also responsible for placing union labels on the heaters manufactured by the Company.
Some of Lonergan’s workers who served in World War II were: Frederick Allman, Elbert Bayes, Raymond Bell, Ward Blashfield, George Brower, Peter Brankovich, Donald Butler, Duane Butler, Russell Davis, George Demund, Arlo Eaton, Paul Gilligan, Frank Harford, John Hopey, Harley Inman, Walter Kesson, Lewis Luedtke, Stuart McCallum, Frank Miller, Rudolph Newton, Erdman Numan, Edward Norman, Warren Putnam, Robert Racine, L. E. Rawlins, Roland Reed, Charles Shultz, Howard Scripter, Norman Smith, Al Smith, Lester Shider, Edward Wolf, Walter Wood.
