Harry Van Arsdale, Jr. 1905-1986

Harry Van Arsdale, Jr. was President of the New York City Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO (representing over 1,250,000 workers in the metropolitan area), Business Manager and Financial Secretary of Local Union #3 IBEW, and International Treasurer of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. After attending Sacred Heart School in Manhattan he entered Townsend Harris High School. Upon graduating he worked as an electrician for the Western Electric Company and other companies until his initiation as a union official which led to his becoming Local Union #3 Business Manager in 1933. Brother Van Arsdale was a pioneer in negotiating a wide variety of social benefits for his members including welfare, pension and health benefits. He was instrumental in setting up one of the first union funds to provide interest free loans for members seeking to buy homes, cars or cooperative apartments. In 1950, realizing the need for low-income housing for Local #3 members, he developed Electchester Housing--a cooperative 2,100-unit apartment complex in the Borough of Queens, New York. Over the years, thousands of Local #3 members have been given the opportunity to raise their families in a clean, safe environment. His work in this area convinced Governor Rockefeller to appoint him a member of the Housing Committee. s Special Task Force on Housing. Another program established by Harry Van Arsdale, Jr. to improve the quality of life for members and their families was the Bayberry Land facility in South Hampton, New York. This 314-acre estate, purchased by the Pension Committee in 1948, has provided members with a convalescence home, an educational facility, a picnic area and a summer camp for the children of Local #3 members. Harry was a zealous advocate of education and as Business Manager he implemented the "Critical Thinking in Human Behavior" program and other practical and technical skills training programs. He was also instrumental in establishing the S.U.N.Y. Labor College to offer members an Associate in Science degree in Labor Studies. Many members who have earned Associate degrees have gone on to pursue Baccalaureates, Masters and Ph.D. degrees. Brother Van Arsdale. s desire that all the children of Local #3 members be afforded the opportunity to further their education resulted in a "pioneer" bargaining gain with the establishment of a scholarship program through the auspices of the Educational and Cultural Trust Fund. Today, in addition to the Scholarship Program, the Fund offers a Tuition Reimbursement program for members and their spouses, as well as a College Tuition Loan program to further assist members in providing an education for their children. His concern for children and minorities was evident in his philanthropic endeavors. He donated his time, talents and vision to a multitude of important programs such as the Civil Rights Movement, Affirmative Action Programs, Equal Rights amendments, the NYC Urban Coalition, the Boy Scouts of America and the Council of the State University College.