| Akron Mayor Donald L. Plusquellic
today announced plans for a United Rubber Worker’s (URW) Commemorative Garden to be
located on the site of the URW’s founding in Akron 68 years ago today. The site is
now home to the SummaCare Health Plan at the corner of Main and Market streets in downtown
Akron. |
"This is long overdue," said Mayor Plusquellic. "Tens of thousands of men
and women who were URW members built a manufacturing legacy on which the economic
prosperity of Greater Akron continues to be developed today." |
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The centerpiece of the Garden will be an Ohio Historical Marker honoring the founding of
the URW that for many years was mounted on the URW headquarters building on Mill Street.
The building was demolished a decade ago to make way for the John S. Knight Convention
Center. Summacare President Martin Hauser said that
the legacy is important to him and to the people who work in the building every day.
"SummaCare has long recognized the significance of its location," said Marty
Hauser, president of SummaCare Health Plan. "The fact that an international
organization such as the URW was founded at this location is something to be proud of and
share with our community." |
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Among pictures and artifacts displayed in the
building is a blue ribbon from the first URW convention, September 12, 1935. The Garden will also contain commemorative engraved bricks that may
be purchased by URW family members to honor both past and present members of the labor
union founded in Akron. |
Mayor Plusquellic, whose father Lou was a tire builder at the Seiberling Tire & Rubber
Company with 26 years of service, presented a check for $50 to Paul Moran, Director of the
Summit County Historical Society to purchase the first engraved brick. Bricks may be
ordered by mailing in forms that are available from the Historical Society at (330)
535-1120, or here (39k pdf). All
proceeds of the sale of bricks will benefit the Historical Society and its efforts to
preserve the labor history of Summit County. |
"With our rich history in the rubber industry, the
founding of the URW here in Akron has long been worthy of permanent recognition,"
said Mayor Plusquellic. "By creating a Garden that not only marks the location of the
founding, but also honors URW members, we are preserving a pivotal part of Akron’s
past."
The Garden will be officially dedicated in a ceremony next spring, and is being
sponsored by a coalition that includes the City of Akron, SummaCare Health Plan, the
Summit County Historical Society, Signet Development Group and representatives from the
URW and the United Steelworkers of America, Rubber and Plastics Division.
(Please note that other recognition of the URW founding is also underway. The
original sign that marked the URW headquarters has been mounted this week at Lock 3 Park
outside of the new history museum at O’Neil Commons, constructed by artist P.R.
Miller for the Historical Society.
Also, the Akron Labor Council will soon be announcing plans to erect an official Ohio
Bicentennial Marker in downtown Akron to commemorate the historic sit-down strikes against
Goodyear in 1936 and against General Tire in 1934. The location for this marker and the
dedication date have not yet been selected.)
