You should know

Lighting the Landscape
IBEW assists Iowa project

In Ind., a New Manufacturing Meme
Plant expansion,
new members

Utility Consolidation Sweeps Mid-Atlantic
Exelon swallows Pepco

In Tenn., New Residential Construction
Project fueled by
pension funds

Outside Linemen in Short Supply?
New tool to recruit,
ease shortages

North of 49°
IBEW Steps Up to Help Members Affected by Historic Alberta Wildfire

Au nord du 49° parallèle
La FIOE vient en aide aux membres affectés par l'incendie historique de l'Alberta

SIMULATING REALITY
Apprentice Training Moves
into Virtual Realm

It was a cold, rainy May morning outside the Washington, D.C., Local 26 training center in Lanham, Maryland. But inside, Romuel Buenio put on a pair of goggles and was transported to a jobsite littered with hazards, problems and potentially deadly electrical issues.

The first-year apprentice never left the classroom. But with cameras from the television show "Innovations" on hand, he and others saw where electrical training continues to head. With the help of a virtual reality headset called Oculus Rift, Buenio felt like he was standing on an overhang without a railing while being asked to diagnose a variety of problems at the jobsite.

"Oh man, it felt like I was there," he said. "It's very realistic. It actually put me in the room."

Buenio and other apprentices likely will be using Oculus Rift and other similar programs during the next year on a regular basis. So will wiremen going through advanced training.

"It's all about putting someone in the environment," said Mike deSimon, president of Mosaic Learning, which is the technology delivery provider for the Electrical Training Alliance and developed the electrical training content used in Oculus Rift. "Before, we were able to show you videos. But when you stand there and you have that experience, the back of your mind and your subconscious say, 'I was there' and 'I remember it.'"

"Innovations" informs viewers about recent breakthroughs in science, health, business and industry, making the simulator on display that morning a perfect subject. The show is hosted by veteran actor Ed Begley Jr.

The episode on the advanced training methods used by the Alliance, an educational partnership between the IBEW and the National Electrical Contractors Association for more than 70 years, will be shown sometime between July and September on the Discovery Channel. The air date will be posted on ibew.org when it is announced.

The electrical training used in Oculus Rift probably will be available in training centers in 2017.

"We just kind of hoped in the past that with PowerPoint slides and some other things, students would pick up the standard stuff," deSimon said. "Now, we're pulling them by the collar into the environment and telling them to look at this and engage with us.

Stephenson: Lessons from Another Verizon Strike
Chilia: Your Most Important Decision

A Win for Working Families: Paycheck Deception Law Goes Down in Missouri; IBEW, Other Unions Mount Right-to-Work
Challenge in W.Va.;
Government's Own TPP Report: Meager Growth and Bigger Trade Deficit;
U.S. Korea Trade Data Fuels TPP Opposition

IBEW Sisters Attend U.N. Women's Global Leadership Program;
Young Worker Safety Motivates NextGen in Canada;
In Chicago, A Commitment to Diversity

Solidarity is our Strength;
Celebrating the Verizon Strike's End;
Kudos to an IBEW Organizer;
Keep Fighting
Right-to-Work

March 2016

IBEW Law Student Makes the Case for Labor Law Reform