| April 2013 | ||
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Workers Memorial Day commemorated 
Management squashes nascent campaign Small nuclear plants risk closure First contract bargained with Sears techs Sequester hits IBEW's federal workers North of 49° Au nord du 49° parallèle
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When they hear the words "first responders," most people probably draw upon images of uniformed public safety officers and firefighters rescuing citizens in trouble. But when trouble comes in the gales of frequent and freakish storms, the first responders are often tree trimmers wielding chainsaws or utility linemen hanging out of bucket trucks to clear toppled trees and lift lines to let the ambulances and fire trucks in. Thousands of these seasoned workers carry IBEW cards. And all of them are concerned that, as their numbers dwindle due to rolling waves of retirements, they and the communities they serve — sometimes hundreds of miles away from home — could be left in peril. Sandy's Waves Test Gas Workers After Hurricane Sandy struck the New Jersey coast last October, CNN aired video footage of soaring flames engulfing bungalows on the New Jersey Shore's beaches and shooting skyward in plumes from ruptured gas pipes that might be routine at nearby oil refineries but had no place in a summer vacation spot. "Before the firefighters could come in, we had to cap the natural gas pipes and find valves that were covered by four feet of sand," says Tom Curtis, president, Neptune, N.J., Local 1820. Curtis, a 33-year IBEW member, and his crew of Jersey Natural Gas workers readied to drive to the peninsula to cap the lines, then realized the roadway from the mainland had been completely washed away. |
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Rick Tira 
Knoxville Leaders Honor IBEW with Street Naming;
A Life Well Spent; 
Topping Out: Tools in One Hand and a Degree in the Other 
