United Steelworkers Local 351L represents 1365 workers at the B.F. Goodrich Tire Plant here in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. It has come a long way since it was first chartered as United Rubber Workers Local 351 on April 7, 1947. Local 351 started with 225 members and was the first Congress of Industrial Organizations local in this area. At that time most labor unions in this part of Alabama were associated with the American Federation of Labor.

The newly formed local soon rented office space in the Masonic Building and the top floor of the Hill Grocery Company for their meetings. Both buildings were located on Sixth Street in downtown Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The first officers of Local 351 were Rudolph A. White, President; Jack W. Suther, Vice President; W. L. Hayes, Secretary.

In 1951 our local purchased property just south of Tuscaloosa, Alabama on US Highway 11 which is also known as Culver Road. The local constructed a building for membership meetings on the property which is near the plant entrance. This building is still used today and after numerous additions and expansions it has space for offices, a conference room, auditorium, kitchen and a recreation room that was used in September 1951 to start the B.F. Goodrich Employees Federal Credit Union.

On July 12, 1995, the United Rubber Workers International Union and the United Steelworkers of America merged and the local became United Steelworkers of America Local 351L. On April 12, 2005 the United Steelworkers of America International Union and the Paper, Allied-Industrial, Chemical and Energy Workers International Union merged and we became the United Steelworkers Local 351L. The current officers are President, Jimmy Price; Vice President, Dexter Beams; Recording Secretary, James Crowder; Financial Secretary, Jeff Hewitt; Treasurer, Mike Porter.