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Current News Stories Climate Change Bill Passes House; IBEW Eyes Senate for Improvements Congress on Friday took the first step in setting long-term policy to slow climate change. Introducing Working Green The green economy will play a vital role in both reducing our carbon footprint and putting people to work. Unions Take on Employer’s Lies about Arbitration Anyone with experience in the labor movement knows that taking cases to arbitration is rarely a “slam-dunk” for the union. IBEW Retiree Earns College Diploma at 72 The American philosopher and education reformer John Dewey once coined a phrase that has echoed through universities for decades: “Education is not preparation for life – education is life itself.” Membership Cards Land in Mailboxes Across the Brotherhood The massive job of sending IBEW membership cards to every IBEW member will be completed this month. Now the ball is in your court: register your card online and put it to work for you. Local 1007 Reaches Agreement with City of Edmonton Union electricians working for the city of Edmonton will get pay increases of 4.5 percent over each of the next two years. NFL Extends Agreement with CBS, Fox An extension of the National Football League’s television deal with News Corp.’s Fox Sports unit and CBS Corp. will guarantee employment for IBEW members who work at the two networks through 2013. Sportsmen’s Group Starting Summer With a Bang The Union Sportsmen’s Alliance is kicking off the summer season with its Inaugural Sporting Clays Shoot on June 18 at the Prince George’s County Trap and Skeet Center in Glenn Dale, Md. IBEW Green-Job Training Facilities Around the Country Open Their Doors to Public With renewable energy looking to be the wave of the future, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers is letting everyone know that its members are the best-trained green-work force around. NACTEL Graduates Awarded Degrees at Pace University Thirteen IBEW members will graduate from Pace University in New York this year, with degrees earned under the National Coalition for Telecommunications Education and Learning program. "Clean" Energy Company Treats Workers Like Dirt Covanta Energy operates 30 incinerators in the U.S. that convert waste to energy. The company’s holdings include Hennepin Energy, an incinerator that employs members of Minneapolis, Minn., Local 160. Study: Employer Intimidation on the Rise A new report confirms that employer threats against workers who want a union are more the norm than the exception – and they’re on the rise. Interactive Electrical Worker Unveiled We have overhauled the online version of The Electrical Worker starting with the June issue on www.ibew.org. Utility Members Defend Gains In a growing number of regions, IBEW members are backing leaders who are bargaining to defend medical insurance, pension benefits and decent wage increases at profitable utility companies. Crews Break Ground on Memorial for Fallen Workers Each year, more than 5,000 workers lose their lives in on-the-job accidents. Another 50,000 die annually from medical complications related to hazards at work. Vermont Utility Wins Industry Award for Storm Response Vermont’s largest electric company has won the industry’s highest honor for storm recovery – for the second time in two years. Local 1 Members Upgrade Low Income Homes for Electrical Safety Month St. Louis Local 1 members and their contractors are upgrading electrical installations in low income homes in St. Louis for an annual home rehabilitation campaign. New Study Finds No Evidence of Union Intimidation Under Majority Sign-Up A new study puts to rest the claim, circulated by opponents of the Employee Free Choice Act, that majority sign-up would encourage union intimidation. Chicago Business Rep. Elected Mayor of Des Plaines, Ill. After a highly-publicized mayoral contest, Marty Moylan, a business representative in Chicago Local 134, was elected to lead the suburban city of Des Plaines. Radio Story Highlights Coming Utility Worker Shortage While the economic recession may have slowed down the number of retirements in the utility industry, the graying of North America’s electrical work force still poses a looming threat to the power industry. Fighting for the Living: Unions Press for Workplace Safety More than three decades ago, Congress passed the Occupational Safety and Health Act, promising every worker the right to a safe job. IBEW Green Training Facilities Open Its Doors to Congress During the Memorial Day break, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers will invite congressional representatives to tour union job-training centers around the country to show them why they are the right choice when it comes to creating a renewable energy work force. Iowa IBEW Retirees Aid Flood Victims After working for more than four decades in the industry, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Local 405 journeyman wireman Wayne Engle was enjoying his well-deserved retirement. Boston Corporate Campaign Wins Support from Governor Six months of corporate campaigning exposing Boston’s biotechnology companies’ failure to employ local labor in their building projects—despite receiving millions of dollars in tax subsidies—has returned dramatic results for Local 103 and the Massachusetts Building and Construction Trades. Colo. Apprentices Fired Up About Clean Coal Plant More than 50 Colorado apprentices are getting a firsthand look at the future of advanced clean coal technology as they complete intricate wiring and conduit work at the massive Comanche Power Station expansion in Pueblo. Senate Majority Leader Sets Green Training in Motion With the flip of a switch, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid Tuesday activated Nevada’s first wind turbine – which will help train Las Vegas Local 357 members in the burgeoning green energy sector. Calif. Local Hosts Motorcycle Poker Run for Wounded Vets In poker, laying down a royal flush guarantees you the pot. But when hosting a first-time fundraiser, it’s best to have a full house. Report Documents Lax to OSHA Enforcement Under Bush A shocking new report program by the Office of the Inspector General at the Department of Labor documents the failure of a Bush administration program that may have contributed to fatalities at dozens of workplaces that had previously been inspected, revealing serious violations of OSHA safety and health standards. Utility Members Assist Flood-Ravaged Fargo IBEW members from North Dakota and Minnesota have descended on Fargo, N.D., to assist local utilities as the Red River continues to menace the city. Amtrak Receives More than $1 Billion for Infrastructure Repairs Standing at one of the busiest train stations in the United States, Vice President Joe Biden announced March 13 that more than $1.3 billion of President Barack Obama’s federal stimulus package enacted in February would go to modernize Amtrak’s infrastructure, the nation’s passenger railway. Alaska Member Tells Congress: Support Unions Anchorage, Alaska, Local 1547 apprentice lineman Deborah Kelly owes a lot to her union. The only woman lineman in the state, she told Congress on March 10 that the IBEW put her on a path to a good-paying career in the electrical trade. Historic Agreement Strengthens IBEW Bargaining at AT&T A historic agreement has been reached between IBEW and AT&T that will enhance the bargaining power of AT&T members, located predominantly in New England, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, California, Illinois and the Northwest in upcoming negotiations. IBEW Locals Install Solar Arrays IBEW locals across the country are taking their commitment to green energy and good jobs seriously by investing in renewable energy resources. IBEW to Nielsen Media: ‘Workers Deserve a Fair Contract’ Last June, technicians who install the devices that monitor television ratings for Nielsen Media Research, upset over declining wages and unfair work rules, voted overwhelmingly for union representation by Jersey City, N.J., Local 164. New Labor Secretary Tours IBEW Training Facility Newly confirmed U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis met with union leaders and toured an IBEW training facility March 3 as part of her effort to reach out to workers amid staggering employment cuts nationwide. Economists Agree on Need For Employee Free Choice Act While business groups condemn the Employee Free Choice Act as a financial burden in tough times, more than 40 noted economists from across the country agree that increased unionization would fuel the economy with better wages and benefits that flow from collective bargaining. “Green” Lighting Manufacturer Leaves Ohio IBEW Members in Cold When Acuity Brands, one of the world’s largest and most profitable lighting manufacturers, announced the shutdown of an Ohio manufacturing plant and the relocation of some assembly lines to Mexico, the firm said they were “reducing their footprint in the U.S.” Returning Veterans Find Careers in Electrical Trades Even in these tough economic times, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and the National Electrical Contractors Association continues to tap into the training, commitment and discipline that veterans bring back, with apprenticeship opportunities and work in the construction industry. Chicago Local 21 Wins Landmark FMLA Lawsuit Chicago Local 21 has won a lawsuit against AT&T, challenging the company’s refusal to count hours worked on union business toward Family and Medical Leave Act coverage for union stewards, union activists and staff. Third District Electricians Recruit New Members on Casino Job When the Mohegan Indian tribe, owners of the giant Mohegan Sun casino in Connecticut, moved to Wilkes-Barre, Pa., to open the state’s first casino on the grounds of Pocono Downs, they signed a project labor agreement with the local building trades. Manufacturing Company Keeps Jobs at Home with Union Labor In a struggling domestic industry, Milbank Manufacturing Co., a U.S.-based producer of electrical and meter sockets, shines as a bright spot. Winter 2009 IBEW Journal Online Now... Special FINAL ISSUE Download this issue of the IBEWJournal for both online viewing and printing... Union Membership Makes Sharp Upturn in 2008 Despite a declining economy and rising unemployment, numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics show that union membership rose by largest amount in a quarter-century in 2008. Boston Area Trades Council Wins New Members at Prudential Center For several years, Boston’s giant Prudential Center had been maintained by members of an international union outside of the Building and Construction Trades Department. But when a new maintenance contractor took over last November, the bargaining unit’s steward approached the Boston Area Trades Council and asked the trades to represent his work force. $2 Billion San Diego PLA Covers School District With the January vote in favor of a $2.1 billion project stabilization agreement (PSA) between the San Diego Unified School District and the San Diego and Imperial County Building and Construction Trades Council, union labor is a step closer to winning hundreds of thousands of hours of new work and new respect. Labor, Environmental Leaders Push For L.A. Solar Act An ambitious ballot measure backed by a broad city-wide coalition, including Los Angeles Mayor Anthony Villaraigosa, IBEW locals 11 and 18 and environmentalists, could make the city one of the leading centers of solar energy production and green job growth in the nation if passed by voters on March 3. Shipyard Local Slams Door on Union-Busting A February agreement between Pascagoula, Miss., Local 733 and a subcontractor that provides manpower to Northrop Grumman’s Ingalls Shipyard has restored union rights to more than 300 union members and a total of more than $45,000 in back pay. Indiana GE Plant to Stay Open – For Now A Bloomington, Ind., General Electric plant that employs 800 IBEW members will remain open later than its original closing date, the company said in a statement Jan. 29. President Overturns Bush Ban on Federal PLAs Construction workers across the United States won an important victory February 6 when President Barack Obama issued an executive order that overturns a ban on project labor agreements on federally funded-projects put in place eight years ago by his predecessor, George W. Bush. Detroit Local Turns Despair into Activism With the troubled state of the U.S. auto industry and more than 1000 members on the out-of- work list for several years, Detroit Local 58 Business manager Joe Abdoo challenged his staff to get “proactive and creative” and build some grassroots activism to reclaim lost market share. They heeded the call. Employee Free Choice Supporters Rally on Capitol Hill Over 600 unionists rallied outside the U.S. Capitol on February 4 to deliver petitions with millions of signatures in support of the Employee Free Choice Act, a measure that will make it easier for workers to choose unions to improve their pay, benefits and their voice on the job. Inflatable Rat's Handlers Win in N.J. High Court Free speech and grassroots trade unionism won an important round when the New Jersey Supreme Court on Feb. 5 knocked down a township’s zoning ordinance prohibiting the display of a large inflatable rat by protesting electricians. IBEW Organizer Highlights Workplace Intimidation in Radio Piece As anti-labor groups nationwide ratchet up their rhetoric against the Employee Free Choice Act, Downers Grove, Ill., Local 21 business representative Dave Webster told Chicago Public Radio how management can thwart efforts to unionize. Obama Signs Fair Pay Law With the first stroke of his executive pen, President Obama Thursday signed a piece of legislation that was a decade in the making, creating an easier path for women to challenge pay discrimination in the workplace. Union Members Join With House Leaders in Support of Economic Stimulus Bill Union members stood with House Democrats yesterday on Capitol Hill to highlight the need for good paying jobs and financial accountability on the eve of the House of Representatives’ vote on President Barack Obama’s nearly $820 billion spending and tax-cut bill. Republicans Hold Up Labor Nominee Working families and labor activists across the United States are calling on the Senate to confirm President Barack Obama’s pick for Secretary of Labor, California Rep. Hilda Solis (D). BCTD Leader Hits Airwaves to Champion Clean Energy The Nuclear Energy Institute is sponsoring a month-long ad campaign touting the nation’s need for clean and renewable energy. Listen to the radio spot featuring AFL-CIO Building Trades and Construction Department President Mark Ayers... Members Wire Dazzling Arts Center Display Housed on the site of a former goggle factory in downtown Reading, Pa., the Goggle Works Center for the Arts is one of the largest art centers in the United States and a centerpiece of city leaders’ efforts to revitalize downtown. Leading Environmentalist Group Endorses Employee Free Choice Act The Sierra Club, the oldest and largest environmentalist group in the United States, added its voice to the millions of working families and their allies who support passage of the Employee Free Choice Act. One Extraordinary Day in the Life of Union Members, Doing their jobs It was a made-for-television moment that had Americans mesmerized as the story unfolded in photos and videos on a frigid night on the Hudson. Recession Catches Up with Iowa Manufacturer Last summer Iowa-based Rockwell Collins, a manufacturer of specialized aviation communications, was seeing strong sales and a 20-percent boost in profits. IBEW 2008 Photo Contest Closes; Members Chose Winners Thanks for your participation in the first-ever photo contest decided by IBEW members. Japanese Electrical Workers Visit International Office In early December, 28 trade union leaders, representing workers at Japan’s Chubu Electric Power Co., visited the International Office as part of the company’s thirty-first annual overseas study tour. Convention 2006 Coverage President Hill's "State Of Our Union" Address...2005

IBEW Green Training Facilities Open Its Doors to Congress
During the Memorial Day break, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers will invite congressional representatives to tour union job-training centers around the country to show them why they are the right choice when it comes to creating a renewable energy work force.

Iowa IBEW Retirees Aid Flood Victims
After working for more than four decades in the industry, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Local 405 journeyman wireman Wayne Engle was enjoying his well-deserved retirement.

Boston Corporate Campaign Wins Support from Governor
Six months of corporate campaigning exposing Boston’s biotechnology companies’ failure to employ local labor in their building projects—despite receiving millions of dollars in tax subsidies—has returned dramatic results for Local 103 and the Massachusetts Building and Construction Trades.

Colo. Apprentices Fired Up About Clean Coal Plant
More than 50 Colorado apprentices are getting a firsthand look at the future of advanced clean coal technology as they complete intricate wiring and conduit work at the massive Comanche Power Station expansion in Pueblo.

Senate Majority Leader Sets Green Training in Motion
With the flip of a switch, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid Tuesday activated Nevada’s first wind turbine – which will help train Las Vegas Local 357 members in the burgeoning green energy sector.

Calif. Local Hosts Motorcycle Poker Run for Wounded Vets
In poker, laying down a royal flush guarantees you the pot. But when hosting a first-time fundraiser, it’s best to have a full house.

Report Documents Lax to OSHA Enforcement Under Bush
A shocking new report program by the Office of the Inspector General at the Department of Labor documents the failure of a Bush administration program that may have contributed to fatalities at dozens of workplaces that had previously been inspected, revealing serious violations of OSHA safety and health standards.

Utility Members Assist Flood-Ravaged Fargo
IBEW members from North Dakota and Minnesota have descended on Fargo, N.D., to assist local utilities as the Red River continues to menace the city.

Amtrak Receives More than $1 Billion for Infrastructure Repairs
Standing at one of the busiest train stations in the United States, Vice President Joe Biden announced March 13 that more than $1.3 billion of President Barack Obama’s federal stimulus package enacted in February would go to modernize Amtrak’s infrastructure, the nation’s passenger railway.

Alaska Member Tells Congress: Support Unions
Anchorage, Alaska, Local 1547 apprentice lineman Deborah Kelly owes a lot to her union. The only woman lineman in the state, she told Congress on March 10 that the IBEW put her on a path to a good-paying career in the electrical trade.

Historic Agreement Strengthens IBEW Bargaining at AT&T
A historic agreement has been reached between IBEW and AT&T that will enhance the bargaining power of AT&T members, located predominantly in New England, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, California, Illinois and the Northwest in upcoming negotiations.

IBEW Locals Install Solar Arrays
IBEW locals across the country are taking their commitment to green energy and good jobs seriously by investing in renewable energy resources.

IBEW to Nielsen Media: ‘Workers Deserve a Fair Contract’
Last June, technicians who install the devices that monitor television ratings for Nielsen Media Research, upset over declining wages and unfair work rules, voted overwhelmingly for union representation by Jersey City, N.J., Local 164.

New Labor Secretary Tours IBEW Training Facility
Newly confirmed U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis met with union leaders and toured an IBEW training facility March 3 as part of her effort to reach out to workers amid staggering employment cuts nationwide.

Economists Agree on Need For Employee Free Choice Act
While business groups condemn the Employee Free Choice Act as a financial burden in tough times, more than 40 noted economists from across the country agree that increased unionization would fuel the economy with better wages and benefits that flow from collective bargaining.

“Green” Lighting Manufacturer Leaves Ohio IBEW Members in Cold
When Acuity Brands, one of the world’s largest and most profitable lighting manufacturers, announced the shutdown of an Ohio manufacturing plant and the relocation of some assembly lines to Mexico, the firm said they were “reducing their footprint in the U.S.”

Returning Veterans Find Careers in Electrical Trades
Even in these tough economic times, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and the National Electrical Contractors Association continues to tap into the training, commitment and discipline that veterans bring back, with apprenticeship opportunities and work in the construction industry.

Chicago Local 21 Wins Landmark FMLA Lawsuit
Chicago Local 21 has won a lawsuit against AT&T, challenging the company’s refusal to count hours worked on union business toward Family and Medical Leave Act coverage for union stewards, union activists and staff.

Third District Electricians Recruit New Members on Casino Job
When the Mohegan Indian tribe, owners of the giant Mohegan Sun casino in Connecticut, moved to Wilkes-Barre, Pa., to open the state’s first casino on the grounds of Pocono Downs, they signed a project labor agreement with the local building trades.

Manufacturing Company Keeps Jobs at Home with Union Labor
In a struggling domestic industry, Milbank Manufacturing Co., a U.S.-based producer of electrical and meter sockets, shines as a bright spot.

Winter 2009 IBEW Journal Online Now... Special FINAL ISSUE

Download this issue of the IBEWJournal for both online viewing and printing...

Union Membership Makes Sharp Upturn in 2008
Despite a declining economy and rising unemployment, numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics show that union membership rose by largest amount in a quarter-century in 2008.

Boston Area Trades Council Wins New Members at Prudential Center
For several years, Boston’s giant Prudential Center had been maintained by members of an international union outside of the Building and Construction Trades Department. But when a new maintenance contractor took over last November, the bargaining unit’s steward approached the Boston Area Trades Council and asked the trades to represent his work force.

$2 Billion San Diego PLA Covers School District
With the January vote in favor of a $2.1 billion project stabilization agreement (PSA) between the San Diego Unified School District and the San Diego and Imperial County Building and Construction Trades Council, union labor is a step closer to winning hundreds of thousands of hours of new work and new respect.

Labor, Environmental Leaders Push For L.A. Solar Act
An ambitious ballot measure backed by a broad city-wide coalition, including Los Angeles Mayor Anthony Villaraigosa, IBEW locals 11 and 18 and environmentalists, could make the city one of the leading centers of solar energy production and green job growth in the nation if passed by voters on March 3.

Shipyard Local Slams Door on Union-Busting
A February agreement between Pascagoula, Miss., Local 733 and a subcontractor that provides manpower to Northrop Grumman’s Ingalls Shipyard has restored union rights to more than 300 union members and a total of more than $45,000 in back pay.

Indiana GE Plant to Stay Open – For Now
A Bloomington, Ind., General Electric plant that employs 800 IBEW members will remain open later than its original closing date, the company said in a statement Jan. 29.

President Overturns Bush Ban on Federal PLAs
Construction workers across the United States won an important victory February 6 when President Barack Obama issued an executive order that overturns a ban on project labor agreements on federally funded-projects put in place eight years ago by his predecessor, George W. Bush.

Detroit Local Turns Despair into Activism
With the troubled state of the U.S. auto industry and more than 1000 members on the out-of- work list for several years, Detroit Local 58 Business manager Joe Abdoo challenged his staff to get “proactive and creative” and build some grassroots activism to reclaim lost market share. They heeded the call.

Employee Free Choice Supporters Rally on Capitol Hill
Over 600 unionists rallied outside the U.S. Capitol on February 4 to deliver petitions with millions of signatures in support of the Employee Free Choice Act, a measure that will make it easier for workers to choose unions to improve their pay, benefits and their voice on the job.

Inflatable Rat's Handlers Win in N.J. High Court
Free speech and grassroots trade unionism won an important round when the New Jersey Supreme Court on Feb. 5 knocked down a township’s zoning ordinance prohibiting the display of a large inflatable rat by protesting electricians.

IBEW Organizer Highlights Workplace Intimidation in Radio Piece
As anti-labor groups nationwide ratchet up their rhetoric against the Employee Free Choice Act, Downers Grove, Ill., Local 21 business representative Dave Webster told Chicago Public Radio how management can thwart efforts to unionize.

Obama Signs Fair Pay Law
With the first stroke of his executive pen, President Obama Thursday signed a piece of legislation that was a decade in the making, creating an easier path for women to challenge pay discrimination in the workplace.

Union Members Join With House Leaders in Support of Economic Stimulus Bill
Union members stood with House Democrats yesterday on Capitol Hill to highlight the need for good paying jobs and financial accountability on the eve of the House of Representatives’ vote on President Barack Obama’s nearly $820 billion spending and tax-cut bill.

Republicans Hold Up Labor Nominee
Working families and labor activists across the United States are calling on the Senate to confirm President Barack Obama’s pick for Secretary of Labor, California Rep. Hilda Solis (D).

BCTD Leader Hits Airwaves to Champion Clean Energy
The Nuclear Energy Institute is sponsoring a month-long ad campaign touting the nation’s need for clean and renewable energy. Listen to the radio spot featuring AFL-CIO Building Trades and Construction Department President Mark Ayers...

Members Wire Dazzling Arts Center Display
Housed on the site of a former goggle factory in downtown Reading, Pa., the Goggle Works Center for the Arts is one of the largest art centers in the United States and a centerpiece of city leaders’ efforts to revitalize downtown.

Leading Environmentalist Group Endorses Employee Free Choice Act
The Sierra Club, the oldest and largest environmentalist group in the United States, added its voice to the millions of working families and their allies who support passage of the Employee Free Choice Act.

One Extraordinary Day in the Life of Union Members, Doing their jobs
It was a made-for-television moment that had Americans mesmerized as the story unfolded in photos and videos on a frigid night on the Hudson.

Recession Catches Up with Iowa Manufacturer
Last summer Iowa-based Rockwell Collins, a manufacturer of specialized aviation communications, was seeing strong sales and a 20-percent boost in profits.

IBEW 2008 Photo Contest Closes; Members Chose Winners
Thanks for your participation in the first-ever photo contest decided by IBEW members.

Japanese Electrical Workers Visit International Office
In early December, 28 trade union leaders, representing workers at Japan’s Chubu Electric Power Co., visited the International Office as part of the company’s thirty-first annual overseas study tour.

Convention 2006 Coverage

President Hill's "State Of Our Union" Address...2005

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