[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 67 (Wednesday, May 7, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E889]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE SHEET METAL WORKERS' INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION 
                          LOCAL UNION NO. 104

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. GEORGE MILLER

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Wednesday, May 7, 2003

  Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, I know that all Members 
of the House of Representatives will want to join me in saluting the 
Sheet Metal Workers' International Association, Local Union No. 104 on 
the 100th anniversary of its founding. Sheet Metal Workers' Local Union 
No. 104, through its many members over the last 100 years, has long 
played a vital role in protecting and organizing workers throughout 
Northern California.
  The Sheet Metal Workers' International Association was first formed 
on January 25, 1888, in Toledo, Ohio. Since that day, local unions 
throughout the country have fought to protect the rights of workers in 
a wide variety of trades and job types; encompassing workers from 
tinsmiths to high tech specialists.
  Sheet Metal Workers' Local Union No. 104 was formed on May 7, 1903, 
and is dedicated to the mission ``* * * to establish and maintain 
desirable working conditions and thus provide for themselves and their 
families that measure of comfort, happiness, and security to which 
every citizen is entitled in return for his labor, from a deep sense of 
pride in our trade, to give a fair day's work for a fair day's pay.''
  Sheet Metal Workers' Local Union No. 104 membership includes 
individuals from the geographic regions of: Alameda, Contra Costa, Del 
Norte, Humboldt, Lake, Marin, Mendocino, Monterey, Napa, Santa Clara, 
San Benito, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Cruz, Solano, Sonoma and 
Trinity Counties. Furthermore, Sheet Metal Workers' Local Union No. 104 
currently represents more than 8,000 members local-wide, and is 
accredited with one of the most successful Organizing Programs in the 
country. The Union has organized approximately 50 new shops in that 
past two and a half years alone.
  Sheet Metal Workers' Local Union No. 104's members are highly skilled 
craftspeople specializing in areas such as heating, air conditioning 
and ventilation, and architectural sheet metal. These members' work is 
attributed with achieving higher quality of air in homes, office 
buildings, medical facilities, schools and other official buildings, in 
addition to contributions to various architectural features such as 
copper roofs, stainless casing and bronze architecture which can be 
seen throughout many cities; an example of this work is the copper dome 
on San Francisco's City Hall.
  Sheet Metal Workers' Local Union No. 104's efforts to raise the 
standard of living and protect individual rights for its membership, as 
well as other workers throughout the region, are deserving of our 
attention and admiration.
  Mr. Speaker, I join Sheet Metal Workers' Local Union No. 104's 
officers and members in celebrating the 100th Anniversary of their 
founding, and I salute the work of the Sheet Metal Workers' 
International Association, Local Union No. 104. I encourage my 
colleagues to similarly respect the positive impacts the Sheet Metal 
Workers' International Association has had within their home districts 
and States, and I encourage them to express their support of this 
historic anniversary for the Sheet Metal Workers' Local Union No. 104.

                          ____________________