One of the Local Unions that was organized when the United Auto Workers-AFL, sent organizers to the industrial community of Decatur, Illinois. Workers at Mueller Company elected the UAW-AFL as their bargaining agent in September of 1943 in an election conducted by the National Labor Regulations Board (NLRB). Discussions between the Union and Mueller began within a few Weeks.
In May of 1943 workers at Mueller had been honored by the War Depatrment for their excellent performance supporting the war effort. The War Department praised workers for their production of medium caliber armor-piecing shot which was credited with helping German General Rommel out of North Africa. In July of 1942 they were awarded the War Department banner for meritorious production performance, one of the few such awards made.
However, achieving harmonious labor relations proved to be a challenge. Negotiantions for a first collective bargaining agreement dragged into 1944and on March 6, 1944 workers voted to strike.
According to the newspaper "Decatur Daily Review", strikes had previously occurred at Mueller Company in 1902, 1903, 1910, 1919, and 1929 when parts of the plant saw workers walk out.
The dispute in 1944 concerned a demand by the Union that those provisions of the first contract which had been agreed to be impolemented while negotiations on other matters continued. The strike occurred when Mueller management refused to agree to the Union demand.
Meetings to resolve the dispute included a representative of the labor relations division of the Chicago ordance district of the War Department. After 3 days, the strike ended when the company representative sent a letter to Local 838 represenatives in which the company agreed to put into effect the parts of the contract between it and the workers which had been agreed to in negotiations.
Agreed to points listed in the letter included: establishment of seniority, establishment of a plant grievance committee, and the adoption of grievance procedures, procedure for lay-offs, transfers, re-classifications, promotions, and demotions, agreement on the formula for overtime and other premium pay, establishment of holidays and vacations, agreement on the hours of work, agreement in the handling of the military furloughs, and leaves of absences.
Other points which remained in dispute would be sent to the War Labor Board for resolution. These included wages and wage adjustments, Union security, seniority of committeemen and shop stewards, and the expiration date of the contract.
In january of 1945 the War Labor Board announced its decision on items of the contract that had been referred to it. A new wage rate schedule went into effect on January 1 and was retroactive to March 9th, 1944. Union security was implemented.
The first strike after 1944 occurred on May 24, 1965 when 620 workers walked out when contract negations failed to reach a new agreement. Local 838 members ratified a new contract after 44 days on the picket line on July 7th, 1965.
A new contract was ratified 3 years later on July 14th, 1968 by the members of Local 838. However, 7 weeks later on October 7th, 1968 the members went on strike in a dispute concerning 2 grievances which had been filed during the previous contract and which were not settled. One grievance concerned a truck unloading job performed by a worker who ordinarly din't do that work. The other grievance involved an incident in which a worker with less seniority was called to do a job instead of a worker with more seniority. Both involved the call-in overtime provisions of the previous contract.
The strike ended 2 weeks later on October 21st, 1968 when the members voted to return to work based on the agreement with the company that the 2 grievances which led to the strike would be submitted to final and binding arbitration.
A strike occurred in the Fallof 1979 when a grievance filed on belhalf of a worker who the Union said was unjustly terminated was not settled satisfactory. The Local provided 3 working days notice of the walkout as required by the contract on September 28th, 1979. The strike was avoided when the Rnion presented the Local Union membership a tentative settlement of the grievance that had been reached between the Union and the company. The proposed settlement was rejected by the Local Union members.
The Strike began on October 5th, 1979. The company responded by canceling medical and dental benefits for all members of the Union. The strike ended after 8 days on October 12th, 1979 after the members ratified a tentative agreement to arbitrate the dispute about the discharged member. The company also agreed to reimbuurse emp;payees for the cost of insurtance payments made by strikers during the walkout. The company agreed it would not cut off such benefits to Union members in the event there was another strike in the future.
In 2012, difficult contract negotiations resulted in a wage structure in which employees hired after June 12th, 2012 received an entry level wage rate that was $4.00 an hour less than that of other employees. The Local Union membership was determined to eliminate two-tier wages. Progress to reduce the differential occurred in the contract negotiations of 2016.
In Contract negotiations of 2020 the Lcoal Union successfully completed its mission to eliminate the two-tier wages rates. Those employees who were hired after June 12, 2012 received an increase in wages over the term of the contract that was significantly greater than the wage increase received by members who were hired before that date. On june13th, 2024 this process was successfully complete and the two-tier wages rate system was eliminated.