Local Union 137 Feature

Local Union 137 was formed on January 8, 1895, when 22 Springfield, Illinois-area plumbers, gas fitters and steamfitters banded together to demand better working conditions. Today, the Union trains plumbers, steamfitters and HVACR techs for careers LU137 Business Manager Aaron Gurnsey says are some of the most rewarding in the trades.

LU137 is rich with history. Gurnsey’s favorite story comes from the very early days of the Local. 1901 to be exact. That year, two LU137 plumbers were the last people to see Abraham Lincoln's remains. Leon Hopkins and Charles Willey were tasked with unsealing the lead lining to Lincoln’s casket to confirm graverobbers hadn’t stolen his body, then resealing it before internment in his final resting place. As you may know, plumbers worked heavily in lead back then.

In the modern age, LU137 members are putting their skills to work on major projects across central and southern Illinois, including the net-carbon-zero Broadwing Energy plant near Decatur, a planned 600-megawatt data center in southern Illinois, and steady work for the State of Illinois and Decatur school districts. The Union is also investing in BIM and AI training to keep members competitive and jobs in-house.

Interest in the high-paying, zero-debt, hands-on careers LU137 offers is soaring, Gurnsey said apprenticeship enrollment has nearly tripled since 2021, with nearly 170 apprentices this year alone.

Looking ahead, Gurnsey sees huge opportunity in energy production, especially small modular nuclear reactors. His focus, though, stays on people — encouraging members to protect their mental health during demanding stretches of work.

"I'm very proud and humbled to be the business manager here at 137," Gurnsey said. "These are some of the best people I've ever met."