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Current News Stories Illinois Local Lobbies for Wind Power Zoning Located on a natural ridge with plentiful wind, Winnebago County, Ill. offered an opportunity for unemployed members of the building trades to get back to work on green energy projects. Will Green Stimulus Money Go to China? Developers of a massive 36,000-acre wind farm in West Texas will be seeking federal stimulus money for the project which will include 240 2.5-megawatt wind turbines - Made in China. $138 Million Stimulus Grant to IBEW-Represented Nevada Utility On October 27, Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) announced a $138 million grant under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to NV Energy to implement smart grid technologies in his state. Act Now for Health Care Reform: A Message from International President Edwin D. Hill "The future of health care reform has come down to this moment. House Democrats introduced their version of health care reform last week and their Senate counterparts will be doing the same in a matter of days." Statement of IBEW President Ed Hill on FairPoint Bankruptcy Edwin D. Hill, International President of the IBEW, issued the following statement after FairPoint Communications Inc. announced today that it plans to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. IBEW & CWA - Caution In The Quest For Net Neutrality The IBEW and Communications Workers of America (CWA) have issued a joint statement urging the Federal Communications Commission to work cautiously as it develops new rules regarding Internet neutrality. Nebraska IBEW Rolls Out New Wind Training Facility The flat, breezy plains of Nebraska, have enough natural wind energy to power up much of the Midwest. Looking to tap into that power is the IBEW and the Nebraska chapter of the National Electrical Contractors Association, which just opened the first wind-training facility in the state. IBEW Members Help Power Up Solar Decathlon A team of electricians from Washington, D.C. Local 26 helped power this year’s U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon on the National Mall. IBEW and AT&T Strike Deal for Workers IBEW members working for AT&T ratified a 3-year contract in late September that guarantees wage increases for nearly 9,000 employees throughout the New England, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Indiana, California and the Northwest. Voices of the Next Generation: Connecting Young People and the Labor Movement Wall Street’s collapse last year, which has already destroyed more than 7 million jobs, is hitting workers under the age of 35 with an extra impact. Press Release: Flour Daniel Settlement Construction company Fluor Daniel is agreeing to pay more than $12 million to 167 union organizers who were discriminated against in the hiring process – a record setting settlement that ends decades of litigation. President Hill: Stop Delaying Cape Wind After eight years of delay, the 130-turbine Cape Wind project in Nantucket Sound off the coast of Massachusetts appeared to be ready to start. Congress Puts An End to Anti-Union Rules at Defense Department The controversial National Security Personal System - long opposed by Defense Department workers and their unions - is on its way out. S. California Line Clearance Workers Refuse to Get Burned Twice Snatching victory from the “jaws of defeat” is getting to be a habit for the Membership Development Team at Local 47. IBEW Locals Rally Against “Jobless Recovery” Despite hopeful numbers on Wall Street, the job situation for most Americans remains bleak – and it’s getting worse. Excelsior College-IBEW Program Offers Enrollment Discount Sign-up Before November 1! With many jobs requiring at least some formal educational credentials, access to college courses is more valuable than ever. That is the mission of Excelsior College’s partnership with the IBEW. Illinois Local Welcomes Home Afghanistan Veteran In his nearly 20-year Army career, Chris Collins has trained, been stationed in or deployed to a half-dozen countries around the world, from South Korea to Bosnia. Alabama Power Joins Utility Training Trust The Alabama Power Company – one of the largest energy companies in the South – is the latest utility to sign on to the joint labor-management National Utility Training Trust. Former Cigna Health Insurance Executive Supports Public Option It’s not everyday that executives apologize for making bundles of money dressing up the images of corporations that are up to no good. That makes Wendell Potter, a former communications executive at Cigna Insurance, special. Building Trades Partner With Native American Leaders To Create Union Jobs The recession may have sent the unemployment rate to record levels, but for many Native Americans living on reservations throughout the United States, joblessness isn’t a unique situation – it’s the norm. New Report: Power Industry Facing Shortage of Skilled Workers The United States power industry will face a critical shortage of trained professionals in the coming years, according to a report issued by a panel of energy experts Oct. 2. Alberta Local Helps Bring “Olympics of the Skilled Trades” to Life More than 150,000 spectators came to Calgary, Alberta Sept. 2-5 for what many call the Olympics of the skilled trades. Media Focus on Pittsburgh Local 5’s Training The AFL-CIO Convention, the G-20 summit and a recent tour of delegates from the National Association of Counties have focused labor and mainstream media attention on the contribution of Pittsburgh Local 5 to the city’s renaissance. New Leadership To Take AFL-CIO Helm Today The fourth day of the 26th AFL-CIO Constitutional Convention will feature the election of a new leadership of the 11-million member labor federation. President Obama to Address AFL-CIO Convention Following a rousing Labor Day speech that showed him standing firm with working Americans, President Barack Obama is scheduled to speak today at the 26th AFL-CIO Constitutional Convention. New Officers to be Voted in at AFL-CIO Convention The spirit of trade unionism is in full stride in Pittsburgh as the city hosts the AFL-CIO's 26th Constitutional Convention September 13 - 17. Highlighting the summit is the election of a new slate of officers – including the IBEW's Liz Shuler – to helm the 11 million-member federation. President Obama Stands up for Fair Trade In a victory for supporters of fair trade policies, President Barack Obama announced on September 11 that he would enforce existing trade laws in response to surging imports of low-cost tires from China. New Health Care Coalition Calls on Lawmakers Not to Ignore "Bridge Years" Workers As members of Congress return to Washington, D.C. to address health care reform, a new alliance of businesses and labor unions is reminding policy makers not to forget the health care needs of a key segment of the population: Americans New Report Documents Rampant Labor Law Violations We’ve all heard the argument that unions were needed during the age of the robber barons, but have since “outlived their usefulness.” A Labor Day Message from President Edwin D. Hill Last Labor Day, the North American labor movement stood at a decisive political crossroad demanding answers to fundamental questions. Hawaii TV News People Worried About Their Jobs The consolidation of three television news operations in Hawaii is putting the futures of more than 60 IBEW technicians and journalists in doubt. New Report Criticizes Anti-Union Rules at Department of Defense A report by a Pentagon panel regarding the Department of Defense’s controversial National Security Personnel System confirms many of the criticisms made by the IBEW and other federal unions of the anti-union work rules, but doesn’t go far enough in its recommendations, said IBEW Government Department Director Chico McGill. IBEW Members Help Save Maui Racing Track Drag racing fans on the island of Maui were eagerly awaiting the next race at their local community drag strip when a reprehensible act of vandalism threatened to end the season all together. In Memoriam - Senator Edward Moore Kennedy With the passing of Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.), working families lost a champion of fairness at work, justice throughout American society and a progressive role for the U.S. in world affairs. 41-Year IBEW Member Appointed Chairman of N.Y. Federal Reserve Denis Hughes, president of the New York State AFL-CIO, was named chairman of the powerful Federal Reserve Bank of New York on August 24. Union Sportsmen’s Alliance Update: Labor and Hunters Team Up to Fight Climate Change Hunting and fishing are passions for many IBEW members. But climate change could threaten the future of both without governmental action to help protect wildlife. Sacramento Local President Witnesses Coup in Honduras When Greg Larkins, president of Sacramento, Calif., Local 340, joined a delegation hosted by Manuel Zelaya, the president of Honduras, to be an observer of a June referendum in that nation, he knew that the experience would be different from his work as a poll watcher in elections back home. IBEW Leaders Win Awards for Diversity Efforts IBEW members have long played an influential role in two AFL-CIO constituency organizations, the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance and the A. Philip Randolph Institute, named for the legendary African-American leader of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters. IBEW Reaches Contract Settlement with AT&T Ten thousand IBEW members at AT&T will be voting on a tentative three-year agreement reached on August 15. Attend Town Hall Meetings—Support Real Health Care Reform! As Congress considers whether to make major reforms in America’s health care insurance system, media attention has focused on town hall meetings where elected representatives, Democrat and Republican, have been shouted down and disrupted even before they can explain their positions on proposed legislation. Minnesota Local’s Wind Turbine Training Wows U.S. Energy Secretary U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu, a co-winner of the Nobel Prize for Physics, certainly knows a good educational program when he sees one. General Electric to Close Kentucky Light Bulb Plant. The General Electric Co. announced on July 23 that it would be shutting down its Consumer and Industrial Kentucky Glass Plant in Lexington, Ky., which since 1946 has manufactured glass bulbs called “envelopes” for incandescent light bulbs. Maine IBEW Member Speaks out on Why Workers Need Arbitration According to Cornell University’s Kate Bronfenbrenner, 52 percent of workers who form a union are without a contract a year later and 37 percent still don’t have one after two years. And without a contract, a union has no ability to bargain for better wages, benefits and working conditions. Penelec Workers Ratify Contract after Eight-Week Strike It took an eight-week strike, but 500 members of Johnstown, Pa., Local 459 at Penelec, a subsidiary of FirstEnergy, have ratified a new contract, defeating a company plan to institute scheduling changes that could have turned their lives upside down. Illinois Republican Envies IBEW Health Insurance Benefits Rep. Don Manzullo (R-Ill.) is complaining about his government-sponsored health care plan. Manzullo, who opposes a “public option” in health care insurance, told the Rock River Times, “I would not wish the government health plan on anybody. IBEW Member Trains Afghanistan’s Fighting Forces A day after friends and family back home celebrated the Fourth of July, Sgt. 1st Class Kurt Neuleib traded fire with Taliban insurgents in the mountains of Afghanistan. IBEW, Machinists Could Ramp up Navy's Destroyer Fleet Congress is debating a $515 billion Department of Defense budget proposal that Secretary Robert Gates said can ensure the Navy’s superior fighting capacity while helping keep the country’s shipbuilding industry afloat. Moon Mission Triumph Took IBEW Skills On Monday, July 20, the world marks the 40th anniversary of astronaut Neil Armstrong’s walk on the moon. Capping a frantic race to space with the Soviet Union, the Apollo 11 lunar mission was viewed by half a billion people. But, for every succeeding generation, the feat will stand as one of the pivotal moments of human history. That includes—in no small way—the history of the IBEW. AFL-CIO Leadership Ticket Includes IBEW's Shuler AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Richard Trumka announced his candidacy to replace John Sweeny—who is retiring as president of the labor federation—at a rally in Washington, D.C. on July 9. Pope Benedict XVI Reaffirms Church's Support for Workers' Rights In a new papal encyclical released this month, Pope Benedict XVI discusses new challenges faced by working families in today's global economy and reiterates the fundamental value of workers' rights. Convention 2006 Coverage President Hill's "State Of Our Union" Address...2005

Act Now for Health Care Reform: A Message from International President Edwin D. Hill
"The future of health care reform has come down to this moment. House Democrats introduced their version of health care reform last week and their Senate counterparts will be doing the same in a matter of days."

Statement of IBEW President Ed Hill on FairPoint Bankruptcy
Edwin D. Hill, International President of the IBEW, issued the following statement after FairPoint Communications Inc. announced today that it plans to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

IBEW & CWA - Caution In The Quest For Net Neutrality
The IBEW and Communications Workers of America (CWA) have issued a joint statement urging the Federal Communications Commission to work cautiously as it develops new rules regarding Internet neutrality.

Nebraska IBEW Rolls Out New Wind Training Facility
The flat, breezy plains of Nebraska, have enough natural wind energy to power up much of the Midwest. Looking to tap into that power is the IBEW and the Nebraska chapter of the National Electrical Contractors Association, which just opened the first wind-training facility in the state.

IBEW Members Help Power Up Solar Decathlon
A team of electricians from Washington, D.C. Local 26 helped power this year’s U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon on the National Mall.

IBEW and AT&T Strike Deal for Workers
IBEW members working for AT&T ratified a 3-year contract in late September that guarantees wage increases for nearly 9,000 employees throughout the New England, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Indiana, California and the Northwest.

Voices of the Next Generation: Connecting Young People and the Labor Movement
Wall Street’s collapse last year, which has already destroyed more than 7 million jobs, is hitting workers under the age of 35 with an extra impact.

Press Release: Flour Daniel Settlement
Construction company Fluor Daniel is agreeing to pay more than $12 million to 167 union organizers who were discriminated against in the hiring process – a record setting settlement that ends decades of litigation.

President Hill: Stop Delaying Cape Wind
After eight years of delay, the 130-turbine Cape Wind project in Nantucket Sound off the coast of Massachusetts appeared to be ready to start.

Congress Puts An End to Anti-Union Rules at Defense Department
The controversial National Security Personal System - long opposed by Defense Department workers and their unions - is on its way out.

S. California Line Clearance Workers Refuse to Get Burned Twice
Snatching victory from the “jaws of defeat” is getting to be a habit for the Membership Development Team at Local 47.

IBEW Locals Rally Against “Jobless Recovery”
Despite hopeful numbers on Wall Street, the job situation for most Americans remains bleak – and it’s getting worse.

Excelsior College-IBEW Program Offers Enrollment Discount Sign-up Before November 1!
With many jobs requiring at least some formal educational credentials, access to college courses is more valuable than ever. That is the mission of Excelsior College’s partnership with the IBEW.

Illinois Local Welcomes Home Afghanistan Veteran
In his nearly 20-year Army career, Chris Collins has trained, been stationed in or deployed to a half-dozen countries around the world, from South Korea to Bosnia.

Alabama Power Joins Utility Training Trust
The Alabama Power Company – one of the largest energy companies in the South – is the latest utility to sign on to the joint labor-management National Utility Training Trust.

Former Cigna Health Insurance Executive Supports Public Option
It’s not everyday that executives apologize for making bundles of money dressing up the images of corporations that are up to no good. That makes Wendell Potter, a former communications executive at Cigna Insurance, special.

Building Trades Partner With Native American Leaders To Create Union Jobs
The recession may have sent the unemployment rate to record levels, but for many Native Americans living on reservations throughout the United States, joblessness isn’t a unique situation – it’s the norm.

New Report: Power Industry Facing Shortage of Skilled Workers
The United States power industry will face a critical shortage of trained professionals in the coming years, according to a report issued by a panel of energy experts Oct. 2.

Alberta Local Helps Bring “Olympics of the Skilled Trades” to Life
More than 150,000 spectators came to Calgary, Alberta Sept. 2-5 for what many call the Olympics of the skilled trades.

Media Focus on Pittsburgh Local 5’s Training
The AFL-CIO Convention, the G-20 summit and a recent tour of delegates from the National Association of Counties have focused labor and mainstream media attention on the contribution of Pittsburgh Local 5 to the city’s renaissance.

New Leadership To Take AFL-CIO Helm Today
The fourth day of the 26th AFL-CIO Constitutional Convention will feature the election of a new leadership of the 11-million member labor federation.

President Obama to Address AFL-CIO Convention
Following a rousing Labor Day speech that showed him standing firm with working Americans, President Barack Obama is scheduled to speak today at the 26th AFL-CIO Constitutional Convention.

New Officers to be Voted in at AFL-CIO Convention
The spirit of trade unionism is in full stride in Pittsburgh as the city hosts the AFL-CIO's 26th Constitutional Convention September 13 - 17. Highlighting the summit is the election of a new slate of officers – including the IBEW's Liz Shuler – to helm the 11 million-member federation.

President Obama Stands up for Fair Trade
In a victory for supporters of fair trade policies, President Barack Obama announced on September 11 that he would enforce existing trade laws in response to surging imports of low-cost tires from China.

New Health Care Coalition Calls on Lawmakers Not to Ignore "Bridge Years" Workers
As members of Congress return to Washington, D.C. to address health care reform, a new alliance of businesses and labor unions is reminding policy makers not to forget the health care needs of a key segment of the population: Americans

New Report Documents Rampant Labor Law Violations
We’ve all heard the argument that unions were needed during the age of the robber barons, but have since “outlived their usefulness.”

A Labor Day Message from President Edwin D. Hill
Last Labor Day, the North American labor movement stood at a decisive political crossroad demanding answers to fundamental questions.

Hawaii TV News People Worried About Their Jobs
The consolidation of three television news operations in Hawaii is putting the futures of more than 60 IBEW technicians and journalists in doubt.

New Report Criticizes Anti-Union Rules at Department of Defense
A report by a Pentagon panel regarding the Department of Defense’s controversial National Security Personnel System confirms many of the criticisms made by the IBEW and other federal unions of the anti-union work rules, but doesn’t go far enough in its recommendations, said IBEW Government Department Director Chico McGill.

IBEW Members Help Save Maui Racing Track
Drag racing fans on the island of Maui were eagerly awaiting the next race at their local community drag strip when a reprehensible act of vandalism threatened to end the season all together.

In Memoriam - Senator Edward Moore Kennedy
With the passing of Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.), working families lost a champion of fairness at work, justice throughout American society and a progressive role for the U.S. in world affairs.

41-Year IBEW Member Appointed Chairman of N.Y. Federal Reserve
Denis Hughes, president of the New York State AFL-CIO, was named chairman of the powerful Federal Reserve Bank of New York on August 24.

Union Sportsmen’s Alliance Update: Labor and Hunters Team Up to Fight Climate Change
Hunting and fishing are passions for many IBEW members. But climate change could threaten the future of both without governmental action to help protect wildlife.

Sacramento Local President Witnesses Coup in Honduras
When Greg Larkins, president of Sacramento, Calif., Local 340, joined a delegation hosted by Manuel Zelaya, the president of Honduras, to be an observer of a June referendum in that nation, he knew that the experience would be different from his work as a poll watcher in elections back home.

IBEW Leaders Win Awards for Diversity Efforts
IBEW members have long played an influential role in two AFL-CIO constituency organizations, the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance and the A. Philip Randolph Institute, named for the legendary African-American leader of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters.

IBEW Reaches Contract Settlement with AT&T
Ten thousand IBEW members at AT&T will be voting on a tentative three-year agreement reached on August 15.

Attend Town Hall Meetings—Support Real Health Care Reform!
As Congress considers whether to make major reforms in America’s health care insurance system, media attention has focused on town hall meetings where elected representatives, Democrat and Republican, have been shouted down and disrupted even before they can explain their positions on proposed legislation.

Minnesota Local’s Wind Turbine Training Wows U.S. Energy Secretary
U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu, a co-winner of the Nobel Prize for Physics, certainly knows a good educational program when he sees one.

General Electric to Close Kentucky Light Bulb Plant.
The General Electric Co. announced on July 23 that it would be shutting down its Consumer and Industrial Kentucky Glass Plant in Lexington, Ky., which since 1946 has manufactured glass bulbs called “envelopes” for incandescent light bulbs.

Maine IBEW Member Speaks out on Why Workers Need Arbitration
According to Cornell University’s Kate Bronfenbrenner, 52 percent of workers who form a union are without a contract a year later and 37 percent still don’t have one after two years. And without a contract, a union has no ability to bargain for better wages, benefits and working conditions.

Penelec Workers Ratify Contract after Eight-Week Strike
It took an eight-week strike, but 500 members of Johnstown, Pa., Local 459 at Penelec, a subsidiary of FirstEnergy, have ratified a new contract, defeating a company plan to institute scheduling changes that could have turned their lives upside down.

Illinois Republican Envies IBEW Health Insurance Benefits
Rep. Don Manzullo (R-Ill.) is complaining about his government-sponsored health care plan. Manzullo, who opposes a “public option” in health care insurance, told the Rock River Times, “I would not wish the government health plan on anybody.

IBEW Member Trains Afghanistan’s Fighting Forces
A day after friends and family back home celebrated the Fourth of July, Sgt. 1st Class Kurt Neuleib traded fire with Taliban insurgents in the mountains of Afghanistan.

IBEW, Machinists Could Ramp up Navy's Destroyer Fleet
Congress is debating a $515 billion Department of Defense budget proposal that Secretary Robert Gates said can ensure the Navy’s superior fighting capacity while helping keep the country’s shipbuilding industry afloat.

Moon Mission Triumph Took IBEW Skills
On Monday, July 20, the world marks the 40th anniversary of astronaut Neil Armstrong’s walk on the moon. Capping a frantic race to space with the Soviet Union, the Apollo 11 lunar mission was viewed by half a billion people. But, for every succeeding generation, the feat will stand as one of the pivotal moments of human history. That includes—in no small way—the history of the IBEW.

AFL-CIO Leadership Ticket Includes IBEW's Shuler
AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Richard Trumka announced his candidacy to replace John Sweeny—who is retiring as president of the labor federation—at a rally in Washington, D.C. on July 9.

Pope Benedict XVI Reaffirms Church's Support for Workers' Rights
In a new papal encyclical released this month, Pope Benedict XVI discusses new challenges faced by working families in today's global economy and reiterates the fundamental value of workers' rights.

Convention 2006 Coverage

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

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