Union Power

Members at Milbank Manufacturing in Missouri Produce Electrical Distribution Units

Brad Dalton first walked through the door at Milbank Manufacturing Co. in Kansas City at the age of 20, expecting that he would work there for a few years and then move on.

Nearly 30 years later, he is a fixture at the family-owned operation and a leader in his local union, mentoring the next generation of USW members at the nearly century-old Missouri company.

“It’s been very consistent,” Dalton said of his work at Milbank, noting that he only experienced one layoff in three decades, and even that was for less than a week.

Making Connections

The 200 members of Local 13-07 at Milbank manufacture electrical distribution units used mostly in commercial and residential construction. The company, among the top electrical connection producers in the world, provides components for thousands of customers in the United States and thousands more across about three dozen other countries.

Dalton, who has worked at Milbank for 29 years, is in his fourth year as the recording secretary for his unit and the amalgamated local to which it belongs. He started his career in the final assembly department and now works in the factory’s press room.

Through it all, he said, USW members in Kansas City have consistently fought for core Steelworkers’ values including fair wages, secure retirement, safety and health, and affordable health care.

Local 13-07 members ratified a new contract with the company last fall that held the line on those priorities.

“That’s what it’s all about,” Dalton said.

Member Engagement

Local 13-07 is one of 10 units of USW Local 13 in the western Missouri area. Delbert Ogle, who has worked at Milbank for 35 years, serves as the president both of his unit at the factory and the 660-member amalgamated Local 13.

Ogle, who held numerous other leadership positions in the local before becoming the local president about five years ago, said the key to maintaining the unit’s success in bargaining strong contracts is keeping members informed and engaged.

“It’s important to bring people together,” he said, noting that he and Dalton and other local leaders make an effort to plan fellowship events for members and their families, as well as other activities like food drives and fundraisers to help struggling members of their community.  

“We’re really out in the community a lot more,” Ogle said. “People look forward to us showing up, and members really love to come together.”

Ogle said that when members have positive interactions with their neighbors, it can lead to organizing opportunities that grow the union.

“We’re trying to set an example and get a lot more visible and active,” he said. “There’s a lot of misinformation in the community about what unions are and what we do. We need to combat that.”

Ogle said that the key to success as a local union leader is communicating directly and honestly with rank-and-file members. The ability to do so quickly in the age of text messaging and social media, he said, “makes bargaining so much easier.”

Safety First

Whether in bargaining or during their day-to-day tasks, the issue that the members of Local 13-07 put first – for themselves and their customers – is safety.

With potentially millions of people around the world relying on their products to function properly, quality control is paramount. Members take pride in the quality of the products they make, knowing that any flaws in an electrical-delivery unit could be a disaster waiting to happen.

When he’s out and about at a grocery store or restaurant, Dalton said, he often checks to see if the establishment has a Milbank electrical box on the property.

“It makes you feel proud to know that you’ve added to the local economy,” he said.

Likewise, the workers inside the factory make sure their own health and safety is also a top priority, Dalton said.

Working in an industry with numerous potential hazards, members of the local safety committee keep close track of every incident in the workplace, constantly looking for root causes and monitoring equipment and workstations throughout the facility.

“We keep pushing, and the company hasn’t given us any issues,” Ogle said. “We want to see where every Band Aid is being used.”

Next Generation

The fact that the local has a large number of workers who are relatively new to the job makes it important to mentor the next generation of USW members, Ogle said.

One of those is Matthew Higbee, who landed his first union job at Milbank nearly five years ago.

Higbee said he appreciates the work-life balance that the union provides to members through the union contract.

“The union does all of the complicated work, so we don’t have to do it on our own,” he explained.

A USW Team

Fueled by their USW solidarity, members bring the concept of teamwork to the production process at Milbank, with members often pairing up to handle the shaping and stamping of particularly large jobs.

Milbank, approaching the 100^th anniversary of its founding next year, has been owned by the same family for its entire existence. That consistency has helped the local union build a strong partnership with management, members say.

Over those years, production has evolved from building meter sockets in Milbank’s earliest days and producing landing mat clips during World War II to, today, making components for use in the emerging electric vehicle, solar, and telecommunications industries.

No matter what they are making, members pride themselves on being able to deliver customized products that fit each buyer’s specific needs.

“We go out of our way to make the product that customers want,” said Dalton, who noted that workers at the plant turn out about 700 units in a typical day.

In addition, the company prides itself of utilizing American-made materials whenever possible, purchasing much of its raw metal from nearby Ryerson, also a USW employer.

“The USW members at Milbank Manufacturing and throughout the Kansas City area have a long history of standing up for good jobs and strong communities,” said Cathy Drummond, director of District 11, which includes the states of Missouri and Kansas as well as Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming.

As the company closes in on a century in business, Ogle said he is confident that USW members at Milbank will continue to build on their strength and solidarity.

“We take a lot of pride in being USW members,” he said. “It’s always good to know that you have an advocate that is on your side.”