NLRB Busts
Union Busters
What the Landmark
Cemex Ruling Means
for the IBEW

'Energizing'
Organizing Win
Ohio Local Gets Creative

'A Voice on the Job'
New P.R. Local's
1st Contract

Local Nuevo de Puerto Rico Aprueba Primer Contrato

'EV Experience' at International Auto Show

North of 49°
IBEW Workers Reconnect Remote Communities After Devastating Wildfires

Au nord du 49° parallèle
Suite aux feux de forêt dévastateurs, les travailleurs de la FIOE rétablissent la communication des communautés éloignées

Noah Guerrero

The IBEW's Commitment
to Veterans

IEC Minutes
April 2023

Service and Brotherhood
Honoring Veterans With a Smooth Transition to the Electircal Trades

Hector Carrillo has a path to prosperity, and it happened by accident.

Carrillo was an Army paratrooper stationed at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska in 2020, just a few months from being discharged, and wasn't sure how to navigate post-military life. He wanted to work with his hands, although he wasn't exactly sure doing what.

"The Army takes care of you and provides a lot, but it's a really scary transition, not knowing what is going to happen," he said. "I knew it was going to be a struggle."

Then by chance he overheard a representative of Anchorage Local 1547 talking to another service member about the IBEW's Veteran's Electrical Entry Program, or VEEP.

Carrillo told Local 1547 officials he was interested — and found himself in VEEP's pre-apprenticeship program about one month later, learning electrical skills and getting paid for seven weeks while still on active duty. He took part in a graduation ceremony after completing the program.

Better yet, there was a local union near where he grew up in Southern California that was accepting VEEP graduates: Riverside Local 440.

He is now a fourth-year apprentice there. He and his wife have a 3-year-old daughter and can plan for the future.

"As soon as my time was up with the Army, it all kind of fell into place," he said.

Carrillo's story is not uncommon among veterans who enter VEEP. Started in 2019, it is run in conjunction with the Electrical Training Alliance, the IBEW's longtime national training partner.

VEEP eases the transition to civilian life, a time when many veterans struggle with uncertainty about where they will live and how they will support their families. It is an anxious time. VEEP also provides the IBEW with a pool of skilled apprentices who are used to committing to a goal and working as a team. And it's a chance to support the men and women who served their country.

Cooper:
Welcoming Veterans
Noble:
Give Thanks and
Give Back

Jon E. Rosenberger Jr.;
David R. Jones;
Richard P. Crawshaw

From Cirque du Soleil to Circuits and Substations;
Local 326 Members
Earn Better Contract, Strengthen Grid;
'Here for Whoever Needs a Hand': Local 43 in the Community;
No 'Miracle' Needed: N.Y. Electricians Ably Update Olympic Venue

September 2023

Retired Illinois Member Receives Bronze Star for Service in Overlooked Vietnam War Unit