Still Militant After All These Years

Local 2367 has history of fighting for economic justice

More than 60 years of history surround Local 2367 in western New York. It is nearly impossible to record the trials and tribulations, victories and defeats, and successes and failures of all those years.

Local 2367 has a record of intense blue-collar militancy driven by fierce pride and a sense of economic justice for the dedicated and highly skilled working people of Rome, N.Y. and its surrounding communities.

The members of Local 2367 are employed at Revere Copper Products, Inc., in Rome. The product line is copper sheeting that is used for numerous applications worldwide.

Organizing the workforce began in 1939 with an independent union known as the Interstate Metal Workers Union Local 56. This independent union continued until 1948 when it became a division of the Mechanics Educational Society of America whose origin dates back to 1933 in the Detroit, Mich., area. Eventually MESA affiliated with the AFL-CIO.

In January 1997 MESA Local 56 became affiliated with the UAW and is now chartered as Local 2367. The president of the local is Joe Hluska, and the shop chair is Thomas Slocum. Local 2367 represents some 340 workers.