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1976 also saw the return of a democrat to the White House, James Earl Carter, formerly governor of Georgia. His one-term administration was marked by the continued sluggish economy and the taking of American hostages after the fall of the Shah of Iran. Although he didn’t leave office a popular president, Carter stood by the labor movement at home; and abroad, with his Camp David Accords, he advanced the cause of peace in the Middle East. Through the ‘70s, the growth in construction continued—especially in large-scale urban projects. Local 3, New York, members were employed in the building of the 1,350-foot-tall World Trade Center, then the tallest building in the world. Local 353, Toronto, Ontario, Press Secretary E.J. Swift wrote in the May ‘74 Journal about his local’s involvement in the building of what he describes as the “tallest self-supporting structure in the world,” Toronto’s CN Tower. And in Washington, D.C., Local 26 members worked on the wiring for the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and the Metrorail subway system. But by far the most important construction project in which the IBEW was involved was building the new International Office. According to the January 1974 Electrical Workers’ Journal’s account, “It was an historic and proud occasion for the IBEW. More than 2,000 persons from local unions all across North America, from all branches of the electrical industry, and from other labor unions came to Washington, D.C., December 1, 1973, and participated in formal dedication ceremonies of the new International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Building.” Parts of the building were finished as early as 1971, and most staff and employees moved in that year. The official dedication of the completed I.O. in ’73 was officiated by International Secretary Joseph Keenan. Washington Mayor Walter Washington welcomed the guests and President Pillard and AFL-CIO President George Meany both spoke. During the 1970s the IBEW continued its involvement with the U.S. space program. Apollo 17 in 1972 marked the last lunar landing. That next year the U.S. experimental space station, Skylab, was placed in orbit. Work was also underway on an ambitious plan to build a reusable plane-like orbiter—what became known as the Space Shuttle. Page 3 of 4 |
 An architect's rendering of Toronto's CN Tower. Local 353, Toronto, members preformed the electrical work on the project built in the 1970s. 1974 IBEW receives NASA Award in recognition of the efforts and skills contributed by members of the Brotherhood to the space program. The decision of the Executive Council of the CLC to deny jurisdiction over brewery workers to the Teamsters Union made it difficult for the Teamster's bid for CLC re affiliation. After graduation, three female brakemen-yardmen began work in Edmonton, Canada, railway yard. 1975 the first IBEW All-Canada Progress Meeting was held June 11-13. Union Label Week was set aside to stress the significance of buying union products and services. Rolland Thivierge of the IBEW was appointed Canadian Railway Labour Association delegate to the annual conference of the International Labor Office in Geneva. Congress voted $405 million for South Vietnamese refuges; 140,000 were flown to the U.S. |
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