President: Jeff Steidinger
Vice-President: Jeff LeRoy
Business Manager/ Financial Secretary-Treasurer: Bill Comstock
Business Representative / Recording Secretary: Larry Louis
Executive Board: Steve Overholt, Kenny Steiger
Union Trustee’s: Jim Peters, Mike James, Joe Genusa
Office Manager: Bev Niswonger
Local Union #1 of the Sheet Metal Workers’ International Association
lies in the heart of Illinois. We serve 10 counties with a membership of
roughly 700 + building trades’ journeymen, residential journeymen,
apprentices, industrial, and retired members.
The metal roof on Dunlap School, the ductwork in the student
recreation center at Bradley, a new energy efficient home heating and
cooling system, the stainless steel countertop at your local restaurant
and parts for the cab of a CAT bulldozer, all of these projects were
completed by Sheet Metal Workers. Indoors or outside, hot and humid,
or cold and windy, our men and women get the job done. You might
see Local 1 people setting exhaust fans at Mitsubishi with a helicopter,
or putting up a sign at Grand Prairie for a new store. Whatever the job
is we will be doing it safely, on-time, and right the first time.
The main office for Local #1 is in Peoria Heights, with one satellite
office in Ottawa. There are over 50 contractors signed to two separate
collective bargaining agreements. Local #1 employs 3 fulltime people,
Business Manager FS/T, Business Representative RS, and an office
manager.
In 1887, Robert Kellerstrass, Recording Secretary of the Tin and
Cornice Makers’ Association of Peoria, Illinois, began communicating
with the local organizations promoting the idea of unity and a national
organization. Peoria’s own Kellerstrass was elected General Treasurer
at the unions’ first convention in 1888. Because of a shifting of local
numbers years later, there was always some question about Peoria’s
real right to the #1. In fact, out of the seven original locals; Kellerstrass
drew #1 out of a hat in 1924 when the name of the union was changed
to Sheet Metal Workers International Association. Many items are still
on display at Local #1’s office from those very early days of our union,
a journal from 1888, a badge, and an original charter from 1888.
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