LOCAL 506 (SPFPA) HISTORY ORIGINAL "UPGWA" LOGO USED FOR 50 YRS IN THE BEGINNING..... INTERNATIONAL UNION, UNITED PLANT GUARD WORKERS OF AMERICA(UPGWA). LOCAL 506 (UPGWA), WAS ORGANIZED IN 1972, BY THE BOEING "VERTOL" HELICOPTER COMPANY. DOWNSIZING HAS RESULTED IN ONLY 15 GUARDS REMAINING. THE COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA WAS ORGANIZED THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE STATE SHORTLY AFTER IN 1973. OVER 900 EMPLOYEES IN LOCALS 502, 506, AND 509 BUT THROUGH FACILITIES CLOSING AND TECHNOLOGY CHANGES WE ARE DOWN TO ABOUT 500 STATE MEMBERS, AND LOCAL 509 NO LONGER EXISTS (IT WAS MERGED INTO 502 AND 506). MANY OTHER UNITS WERE ADDED OVER THE YEARS, BUT A FEW WERE LOST BY FACILITIES CLOSING; E.G., GENERAL ELECTRIC, WARMINISTER NAVAL AIR STATION, ETC. MANY OF THE REASONS FOR DECLINING MEMBERSHIP ARE SIMILAR TO THOSE OF COMPANIES AND OTHER UNIONS. PLANT CLOSINGS, TECHNOLOGY AND CONTRACTING OUT BARGAINING UNIT WORK THAT WAS ONCE IN-HOUSE PROPRIETY JOBS. THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT THROUGH THE D.O.E., D.O.D.,N.R.C., AND N.A.S.A. DOWNSIZED THOUSANDS OF THEIR SECURITY FORCES. THE AUTO INDUSTRY DOWNSIZED, CLOSED PLANTS, MOVED SOME OPERATIONS TO MEXICO, ETC. GENERAL MOTORS CONTRACTED OUT AND DOWNSIZED AT THE SAME TIME. STEEL MILLS CLOSED. CONTINUED GROWTH INTO THE 80'S & 90'S MANY BUSINESS INTERESTS IN THE 80'S WITH THE GOVERNMENT AND PRIVATE INDUSTRY HAVE COMBINED AGAINST UNIONISM SINCE THE RONALD REAGAN CRUSH ON THE "PATCO" AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS, YET UNIONS, THROUGH THEIR PERSEVERANCE OF MEMBERSHIP CONTINUE TO THRIVE AND FIGHT OFF ATTEMPTS AT DESTROYING EMPLOYEE'S RIGHT TO JOIN UNIONS TO OBTAIN BETTER WAGES, HOURS OF WORK AND OTHER CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT; E.G., DIGNITY AND FAIRNESS FOR ALL!! DURING THIS PERIOD OF TIME, LOCAL 506 HAD IT'S GREATEST PERIOD OF GROWTH, MANY UNITS WERE ADDED; E.G., FIRST UNION SPECTRUM, AND FIRST UNION CENTER, WELLS FARGO ARMORED (NOW LOOMIS, FARGO & CO.), FAA TECH CENTER (ATLANTIC-CITY AIRPORT), WILKES-BARRE FEDERAL BUILDINGS, HARRISBURG STATE FARM SHOW COMPLEX, PENNSYLYANIA STATE CAPITOL BUILDINGS, ALLENTOWN, HAZELTON, AND READING SCHOOL DISTRICTS, ST. JOE'S UNIVERSITY, AGERE (LUCENT) TECHNOLOGIES, NORTHWESTERN CORPORATION, PGW,ETC. WHILE IN THE 1980 TO 1990 PERIOD THE LOCAL REPRESENTED ABOUT 600 -700 MEMBERS, TODAY WE REPRESENT OVER 1000 MEMBERS. LOCAL 506 IS ONE OF THE LARGEST LOCALS IN THE INTERNATIONAL UNION! CLICK HERE TO VISIT LOCAL 506 (SPFPA) SITES!! MODERN "UPGWA" LOGO NEW LOGO (MAY, 2000) NEW DIRECTION 2000 IN MAY OF 2000, DAVE HICKEY, WAS ELECTED THE INTERNATIONAL'S NEWEST PRESIDENT. DENNIS T. ECK, THE NEW INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL-SECRETARY. THE NAME WAS OFFICIALLY CHANGED TO THE INTERNATIONAL UNION, SECURITY,POLICE & FIRE, PROFESSIONALS OF AMERICA. THE NEW LOGO (shown left) WAS ADOPTED AS OUR "OFFICAL" LOGO. ALSO IN MAY 2000, LOCAL 506(SPFPA)WAS RELOCATED, AND IS CURRENTLY RAN OUT OF THE PHILADELPHIA AREA. WHILE YOU ARE HERE, VISIT PHILADELPHIA!!! PHILADELPHIA-LOVES YOU BACK!!! PAST PRESIDENTS OF LOCAL 506 (UPGWA/SPFPA) RUSS DODGE-WAS LOCAL 506'S FIRST PRESIDENT. HE WAS PRESIDENT FROM 1972 TO 1975. EMPLOYED AT BOEING-VERTOL (NOW CALLED BOEING). GENE MC CONVILLE- WAS LOCAL 506 PRESIDENT FROM 1975 TO 1990. EMPLOYED AT SCOTT PAPER COMPANY (NOW KIMBERLY-CLARK). GENE WENT ON TO BECOME PRESIDENT OF THE INTERNATIONAL UNTIL RETIREMENT IN 2000. GENE IS STILL ACTIVE IN CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS, ORGANIZING, AND THE NEW TRAINING PROGRAM. DENNIS ECK WAS LOCAL 506 PRESIDENT FROM 1990 TO MAY 2000. EMPLOYED AT LUCENT TECHNOLOGIES (NOW AGERE COMPANY). DENNIS IS CURRENTLY SERVING AS SENIOR ADVISOR TO THE INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENT CLICK HERE TO VISIT LOCAL 506 (SPFPA) CURRENT OFFICERS!!! PHILADELPHIA, PENNSLYVANIA