The early origin and history of the first existence of Local 46 has as its greatest assets the high calibre and character of its early members. This has probably been the paramount factor in its struggle from a small and obscure beginning to its present strength and importance in the labor world.

   Prior to the first meeting in 1896 from which later developed the Metallic Lathers' Union, the original members worked in New York City in different labor associations and societies. There were the wood lathers, structural iron workers with the title of bridgeman and housesmith and others who were members of employers' associations or their own small labor or benevolent socieities, independent shops, such as Roeblings shop or as independent mechanics.

   The instigator of the first meeting was John Brown who, at the time, worked as a metal lather for his brothers who was a contractor. Brown combed New York City and distributed pamphlets to all of the men working at the trade of metal furring and lathing, expanded metal floor arches, some reinforced arch work such as Roeblings arches and other reinforced steel work, which was just coming into building construction work in those days. The meetings at which about 75 attended, was held on a Sunday afternoon early in the year of 1896 at 110 Third Avenue, New York City.

   Due credit must be given to John Brown who was really the originator of the idea of organizing a genuine union. Some of the old timers, many of whom are gone to the Great Beyond, as remembered by Leonard Klink are John Schenk, Hen Hannagan, Joe Farrel, Mike Noonan, Mike McBride, Ben Burns, John Nagegast, the Gunshine Bros., Joe Steffani, George Kruegar, Relyea Bros., Pat Powers, Jimmy O'Neil, Frank Ford, Jack Perry, Sr., Terry Bros., Billy Ness, Frank Day, Hen Pafu, Harry S. Nedicker, Pete McGown, Owen Bros., John Bell, Harry Brandt, George Kenagee, Charlie Scammel, Jim Devlin, Stanley Woods, Terry Ford, Jack Taggart, and Mike Harrington.

   There were a host of others whose names have faded in the dim and distant past, most of those mentioned were wood lathers and all were good union men, such as present Joe Steffani, Jimmie Gunshine, Terry Ford, and the famous Jack Taggart himself. Therer was a society of metal lathers at the meeting who had been unable to secure admission th the wood lathers' union because they were not wood lathers. The first president was George Kruger and the first Business Agent was Shorty Morseman. The first charter was granted to the union by the Knights of Labor, which was before the days of the A.F. of L. This charter was held for a year or so, when the structural ironworkers, known as the Bridgemen and Housesmiths, who were a powerful organization in those days, struck every job the new union werer working on and put the original union out of existence. The members were compelled to join the ironworkers and pay an entrance fee of ten dollars. But the boys of the defunct lathers made it so hot on the floor of the ironworkers' meetings, that they finally told the lathers to get the hell out and reorganize their own union as a branch of the ironworkers, which happenend and the lathers were a branch of the ironworkers from the Fall of 1897 until about 1905. During which the brave, fearless, and honest Jack Taggart was elected Delegate, and as we all know, served the Union faithfully till his death in 1924.
There was a lockout of Metal Lathers in 1901 or 1902 by the Reobling Construction Co. The lathers were beginning to show their strength about that time and were looking for more money and better conditions. After a fight of about five months the union won. Although during the strike period some sheet metal workers scabbed on the union adn some of our own scabby members backslid and worked with the sheet metal workers educating them how to do furring and metal lathing.

   Everything was peaceful and quiet until April, 1903 when all of the building trades were locked out for refusing to sign a bill of arbitration which took the right to strike away from the trade unionists. For 52 weeks the stalwart members of the union movement tightened their belts and walked the streets rather than yield to this rank injustice. Local 46 was fortunate in having Jack Taggart to represent them, although they lost and were compelled to join what they called at that time the Little Blades of Grass, a scab union organization, they got rid of their delegate, who by the way was Red Daniels, famous strikebreaker of the day. The executive board was put out of business and Eddie Murphy was elected business agent for a short time, when the boys put Jack Taggart back on the road and secured a charter from the newly fored Wood, Wire, and Metal lathers Internation Union, with which Local 46 worked harmoniously with the exception of a dispute in 1916, when 46 dropped out for a year and went back.
During the early period, steel reinforcing of concrete was developing and expanding and as Roebling and other shops of the day were useing expanded metal and various types of reinforcing for floor arches, the membership of Local 46 developed and grew with this type of construction.

   Before the present age of specialization, all types of material used in connection with this work was assembled or made on the site of th work, such as clips, spirals, floor mesh or the equivalent of roll out wire the pre-fabrication of material being entirely unknown. In fact, lathers did all the work even form workd and supervision of concrete.

    All through the years Local 46 has been outstanding in its help to the labor movement and has always aided and endeeavored to help others secure their own rights.