GE agreement ratified by members

Proposed NLRB rules level the field

Solar farms sow clean energy, new jobs

Manufacturer partners with NJATC

Geek squad joins the
IBEW

Members challenge obstructionist employers

Town halls seek accountability activists

North of 49°
British Columbia's Labour History

Au nord du 49° parallèle
L'histoire du mouvement syndical en Colombie Britannique

Skyrocketing oil prices, the revival of the auto industry and pressure on the Big Three from lawmakers and aggressive Japanese competitors are spurring a new drive to make the mass-marketed electric car a reality.

And as a competitive race unfolds before our eyes, IBEW members are already doing the work installing the electrical infrastructure and developing a training curriculum to get the United States ready for gas-free transportation.

"There is no question that these are the cars of the future," says Kevin Lynch, the electrical program coordinator at Chicago Local 134's training center. "Oil prices are just too high."

Back in 2006, the sad state of the electric car industry was best summed up by filmmaker Chris Paine's documentary "Who Killed the Electric Car?", which chronicled the story of General Motors' failed efforts to market the first ever mass-produced electric car—the EV1. The car was discontinued in 2002, causing many to question whether the Big Three would ever get serious about developing an electric car that could free us of our dependency on big oil.

The answer may be found in the title of Paine's sequel, which premiered in April: "Revenge of the Electric Car."

New York Times journalist Joe Nocera writes that "people who follow the car business like to say that this particular moment in automotive history is the closest we'll ever come to seeing what the industry was like a century ago … the race is on to come up with an affordable, mass-market electric car."

Hill: Tough Market Demands Versatility
Chilia: Playing Politics with Labor Law

Nevada Utility Pioneer Leaves Legacy of Activism; Member Ascends 'Top of the World'; IBEW Members Save Big with New Union Plus Benefits

Green, But is it Good?;
Do Labor and Religion Mix?: Not Just a Piece of Plastic

June 2011

Member Promotes Activism in Cyberspace