Allen Bradley Workers Union

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The Wagner Act of 1935 acknowledged workers’ right to bargain collectively and form unions. Workers at the Allen-Bradley factory in Milwaukee unionized in May 1937 as Local 1111 of the United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers. Repeated strikes and periodic contract negotiations with the company, which thrived after World War II, led to better pay and benefits for workers. Over time, the plant shifted industrial production to rural areas of Wisconsin and other countries. Rockwell International bought Allen-Bradley in 1985, and moved more production out of Milwaukee. The last union contract with Local 1111 ended in July 2010, and the union no longer exists.