The Illinois labor community is looking to improve diversity within its ranks through a program called HIRE Education. The Lincoln Land Community College program is a 20-week course that prepares women, people of color, and former convicts for union apprenticeships. Those demographics are traditionally underrepresented in organized labor,…

  Last week, two members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 1837 were honored for rescuing a man from a burning pickup truck in Bridgton, Maine. Central Maine Power lineworkers Andrew Grant and Paul Reynolds were awarded the highest commendation offered by the IBEW for their act of courage. Grant and…

  Workers at the Electrolux appliance factory in Memphis, Tennessee have voted to join the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW). The vote, which was held on Tuesday, went in favor of representation by a two-to-one margin. The $190 million Swedish-owned Electrolux plant is one of the largest economic development projects in…

  Ten electrical workers have gone on strike in Corpus Christi, Texas. The electricians were hired to work on the Hector P. Garcia Clinic by a company called T.L. Electric. Last Friday, the workers staged a walkout to protest unfair labor practices. They returned on Monday to find they had been replaced: The men on strike said [&hellip…;

  Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton spent Labor Day at a picnic in Northwest Illinois celebrating with union members and leaders, inclduing International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) President Lonnie R. Stephenson and United Auto Workers (UAW) President Dennis Williams. Secretary Clinton attended the event for the…

  America’s first offshore wind farm has been completed off the coast of Rhode Island, and more than 50 International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 99 members helped build it. The Block Island Wind Farm is relatively small but could be a harbinger of things to come: By global standards, the Block Island Wind Farm is a…

  Electrical Contractor Magazine has released their biennial “Profile of the Electrical Contractor.” 2,419 people responded to the magazine’s survey, answering questions about the work they did in 2015. They describe an “industry that’s both continuing to mend following the financial meltdown eight years ago and…

  Wrigley’s just spent $50 million on a 145,000 square-foot Skittles factory expansion in Yorkville, IL. They hired members of the local building trades to complete the 1.5 year construction project, and the results were remarkable: IBEW Local 461’s workforce reached 30,000 hours without a lost time incident while working on two…

  Nuclear power plant owners want the right to take away workers’ security clearance, or “unescorted access authorization,” without arbitration. In a three-to-one vote on June 6, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission approved a recommendation to rewrite the current rules so that employers can revoke employee clearance without…

  Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton paid a visit to the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) in Las Vegas last week. After taking a tour of Mojave Electric’s training facility, Clinton spoke at the IBEW Local 357 hall to a crowd of roughly 1,400. She stressed the importance of technical training and…

  The contentious Verizon strike carried out by the Communications Workers of America (CWA) and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) has ended with both sides declaring victories on key points. 40,000 workers returned to their jobs yesterday as a result.   The four-year contract was agreed to in principle on Friday and…

  Georgia has become the 4th state to pass legislation requiring drivers to slow down and “move over” when utility workers are performing their duties on the side of the road. They join Tennessee, North Carolina, and Indiana in enacting such laws. HB 767, known as the “Move Over for Linemen Law,” was passed with [&hellip…;