It may not seem like a big deal to many of us now, but in 1959 when Local 44 was Chartered it was a monumental issue to many of the Locals who were either gaining or losing membership due to the merger and creation of Local 44. The loss of membership to a Local Union, as you know can have a large impact on our reason for existence. Bargaining strength. Loyalty to a persons local union runs deep. There was initially much opposition to the merger, but in the end common sense prevailed as it was clearly evident that the merger was beneficial to the Members of all the Local Unions involved. Each Local could then have their autonomy and designated jurisdictions sprung up where the expertise lay. Given the opposition, it was also a big step for then International Vice President, Lee Anderson.

Every member of the new Local 44 were and are "Charter" members but there was not enough room on the Charter for them all, so the officers of the merged Locals (now a new Local) are the only names on our Charter. The names on the Charter of this new Local may sound familiar to many. They are, in no particular order:

Christopher Carol, Butte - Francis Crowley , Butte - Kenneth Mitchell , Bozeman - Vincent Koefelda, Billings

Clare Moffat, Great Falls - Henry McGill, Great Falls - George Scott , Missoula - George Goeckel, Missoula

Local 44 was formed by Montana Power Company employees to unify their numbers into one organization, thereby consolidating their bargaining strength. Later through mergers, organizing, and the transition of other bargaining units, Local 44 became a large player in the electric industry in Montana and the Eighth District.