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The Art of Tech

At various meetings held by the IBEW and on the pages of this Journal, we have spoken often of the impact of technology on the work of IBEW members in every branch of the Brotherhood. The need for training, continuing education and skills development is a fact of life for virtually every member in the modern age. The same is true for our union.

Many of you reading this are involved in the manufacture, installation and servicing of the latest computer and telecommunications systems. This type of work represents one of the strongest potential growth areas for our union in the 21^st century, which is why we have aggressively sought to increase our market share in this category. It is not enough, however, to be the union that installs much of the infrastructure of the Information Age; we must also be prepared to use technology to move the Brotherhood forward. Some recent developments show that we are doing just that.

At our Political/Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C., in September, I was pleased to announce that the IBEW is using computer technology to amplify, figuratively speaking, our collective voice in the legislative process. We have contracted with Capitol Advantage, an online service. They are the largest publisher of congressional directories and a pioneer in using the Internet to enable individuals and organizations to have a stronger and more effective voice on Capitol Hill. This service is now available via our web site — ibew.org.

Capitol Advantage has customized their online product for use by IBEW. It allows us to coordinate political and legislative activities and provides our membership with accurate data needed to communicate our message to Capitol Hill and to our members. We can post "hot" issue alerts to notify you of the need to mobilize on political or legislative issues. You will be equipped to take corresponding action by e-mailing their representatives on any given issue, at your convenience. You will be armed with knowledge of the facts, and the information will be provided before action in Congress is taken. Through ZIP Code matching, you will be able to identify your member of Congress and respond immediately.

Every IBEW member can now be a political and legislative activist — right from his or her own computer. We believe that this greater use of communications technology will bring our greatest strength, the collective voice of our members, to a higher pitch as we assert our rights.

There’s more. We have also instituted a new system, the IBEW Computer System or ICS, available to IBEW local unions to assist them in a variety of ways. Through ICS, the International Union and our locals can maintain more timely and efficient membership records and process dues and per capita payments better. This represents a more effective use of your dues and facilitates the administration of the entire union. Other parts of the ICS will enable locals to keep track of grievances files across the continent, thus giving them another tool for effective member representation. There is even a job referral system available for locals to see where work opportunities exist and inform their members.

The International Office has been holding training classes in ICS, for participating locals, with nearly 100 local representatives participating. These successful sessions have helped bring the program to new levels.

This is hardly the last word on the subject of technology and its uses to forward our goals as a union. These developments are simply the latest in our ongoing quest to keep the IBEW in the forefront of the labor movement into the next century.