Our History

The original organizers of Local 716 were devoted men who were dedicated to attaining higher wages, safer working conditions, improved company/union relations, and increased services for their members. While the Local was establishing itself and setting the stage for progressive action in the early 1910s, membership exploded in both Houston and across the nation.

Many factors contributed to this growth, but the most significant by far was World War I. With the onset of the war, the demand for electricity and skilled workers in the field increased exponentially. The union had workers trained to handle electricity and the IBEW could quickly train more.

However, the growth of the labor movement stalled in 1918 when an open-shop movement misnamed the “American Plan” was adopted in the United States. Local 716 found themselves battling anti-union sentiments and anti-union propaganda, as well as anti-union employers who attempted to destroy the labor movement through both legal and illegal means.

Nevertheless, Local 716 emerged from the strife and conflict in the mid-1920s ready to take its place in writing the history of Houston by helping to turn the small town into a big city. In April 1927, Local 716 gained national recognition for its role in the construction of the Neils-Eperson building. The highest structure south of the Mason/Dixon line at the time, the building stood 32 stories high. Two hundred and fifty 500-watt lamps lit the building, and the structure was hailed a monument to the industry and skill of Local 716.

In July 1929, Local 716 topped its record with the completion of The Gulf Building, Houston’s first 35-story structure. Now known as the JPMorgan Chase building, it remained the tallest building in Houston until 1963. The structure stood as a direct indication of the growth of the city and the Local.

To accommodate the growth, Local 716 moved into a new home in December 1929 located at 700 Bell Avenue and years later, the Local moved to 2501 Crawford. Although Local 716 was enjoying relative prosperity, the Great Depression of the 1930s lurked just around the corner.

The Great Depression created serious financial difficulties and a period of unprecedented economic stress for not only Local 716, but for the entire IBEW. Across the country, wages sharply declined, banks failed, businesses nose-dived, and unemployment soared. During these times, Local 716 tightened the ranks and urged members to help turn the political tables, “When will the depression end, is more than the writer will attempt to say, but one of the best helping hands toward ending it is for the laboring man to get a poll tax receipt and use it intelligently,” said Lee Burnett, staff member of IBEW Local Union 716, in the November 1931 edition of The Electrical Worker.

Help came in March 1933 when Franklin D. Roosevelt took office and immediately proposed New Deal legislation to launch the United States on the road to recovery. First came the National Recovery Act, later declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court after bitter opposition from big business. Then came the Walsh-Healey Act and the Wage-Hour Law. The National Labor Relations Act of 1935 ensured government protection to union organizers and to organized workers and led to rapid increase in union membership in Houston and across the nation. Other legislation beneficial to U.S. workers was passed in the late 1920s and throughout the 1930s, including the Social Security Act, United States Housing Act, and Norris-LaGuardia Act.

Surviving one of the longest and most severe depressions of our time, Local 716 picked up speed again in the late 1930s and early 1940s. With the onset of World War II, the demand for electrical work and skilled electrical workers dominated all phases of the war effort. The electrical industry was booming, and Local 716 was on the ground floor. “We had more work here in 1941 than in the history of Local 716,” IBEW Press Secretary W. H. “Billy” Foster boasted in the February 1942 edition of The Electrical Worker.

The year 1941 saw the completion of four army camps, Humble Oil Refinery and Shell Refinery in Texas City, a steel mill and a ship yard plant of the Hughes Tool Co. along with several other smaller jobs. While taking care of the men at home, Local 716 also contributed to the war effort overseas by purchasing tens of thousands of dollars in war bonds.

Dan Tracy was a key figure during this time. Initiated into Local 716 on October 2, 1913, Tracy quickly rose through the ranks. He was elected business manager not just for his home local, 716, but also for Local 66. In less than seven years after he joined the organization, he was elected International Vice President for the district. He was later elected International President in 1933. In 1935, President Roosevelt appointed Tracy as the first Labor Delegate for the U.S. in time to attend the International Labor Conference in Geneva, Switzerland. Tracy was later appointed Labor Adviser to Secretary of State Cordell Hull at the Pan-American Conference in Lima, Peru. During the turbulent pre-war days, President Roosevelt again called on Tracy to render service to his government, and appointed him Assistant Secretary of Labor. Tracy briefly left his role as International President to turn to full-time public service. He returned to the I.B.E.W. in 1947 and continued to lead the organization.

During this time, local union officers and members accelerated the training programs for new members to keep up with the rapid industry advances. On September 30, 1943, Local 716 launched its apprenticeship program. The first of its kind, the program offered advanced training to all apprentices. In 1945, the Local teamed up with Pfeiffer Electric Company, a Houston contracting firm, to underwrite an innovative training class on Article 500 of the National Electric Code. Sponsored through Texas A&M’s Engineering, Science, and Management War Training program of the Federal Government, the course included lectures on the code as applied to industrial or refinery installations. Those completing the class earned a certificate and were then qualified to make installations in hazardous locations.

At this junction in the industry, there was a great deal of discussion on the subject of the controlling of electrical equipment by electronic devices. Recognizing that this was going to revolutionize the entire motor control field, Local 716 designed a complete course covering the fundamentals of industrial electronics and electronics control from a power standpoint. Training courses were made available to all members. Wildly popular the classes spawned several others including Electronic Circuits and Direct Current Motors and Circuits.

“The post-war era demanded much more knowledge from our members,” stated John Easton Jr., current Business Manager/Financial Secretary. “As technology changes, the training of our electricians has to change as well so our members can remain the most skilled workers in the industry. Education always has been and always will be the cornerstone of our organization.” Shortly after this, one of labor’s most instrumental figures joined the organization. Anthony P. “Tony” Bellissimo was initiated into Local 716 on February 7, 1949. He enjoyed his first organizing victory in 1949 at the Houston Westinghouse Plant where he worked as a production chief. He quickly became involved in the affairs of the organization, eventually holding every position in the Manufacturing Unit of Local 716. In 1956, he began handling special assignments for the International and became a full-time organizer. Approximately one year later, International President Gordon M. Freeman appointed him an International Representative and assigned him to the International Office in Washington, D.C. as assistant Director of Manufacturing and Organizing Operations. Belissimo was instrumental in founding the AFL-CIO’s Committee on Collective Bargaining, the predecessor of the present Coordinated Bargaining Committee. He also held the distinction of being the first International Representative that served under five International Presidents of the IBEW. Belissimo retired in 1987 after three decades of serving the International Office. His extensive involvement in labor and political relations included work on all foreign and U.S. economic-policy matters with regard to the U.S. Trade Act of 1974, the Multilateral Trade Negotiations, and the U.S. Labor Advisory Committee. In addition, he advised many members of Congress on U.S. trade matters and testified before various government committees as an expert on trade legislation and trade-adjustment- assistance matters.