International Executive Council member William W. Riley's legacy in Miami goes far beyond the IBEW — something that drivers in his hometown are now reminded of every day.

City of Miami and Miami-Dade County officials honored Riley in a May 23 ceremony, announcing that two blocks of Northwest 16th Terrace between Northwest 17th Avenue and Northwest 15th Street have been renamed William "Billy" W. Riley Way.

The renamed street runs adjacent to the offices of Miami Local 349, where Riley has served as business manager since 2003 and on staff since 1978. He's been a member of the IEC since 2009, having been re-elected for a fourth time at the International Convention in Chicago about two weeks prior to the street ceremony.

Riley said he didn't find out about the ceremony until two days before it occurred, although some Local 349 staffers and office employees had been working with local officials to plan it for some time.

"I'm very, very proud of it," he said. "You usually don't hear anyone getting a street named after them unless they're dead, a politician or a police officer. It's a great thrill."

Fifth District International Vice President Brian K. Thompson, a fellow Florida native who has known Riley for nearly 40 years, congratulated him on the honor, calling him a "close friend who has always been a pillar of that community."

"He loves what he does," Thompson said. "It's a passion for him. He knows everyone in Miami, and everybody respects him, too. When you step into that jurisdiction and visit with politicians and leaders in that community, they all know Bill."

There was proof of that during the May ceremony. Among the local officials attending were Miami-Dade County commissioners, city mayors and Florida circuit judges. Also on hand were Riley's wife, Carolyn; their two children, Bonnie and Bill Jr.; his daughter-in-law, Amy; and his three granddaughters, Miranda, Erin and Ava.

Riley's roots run deep in South Florida. He is a graduate of Miami Senior High School and noted he grew up less than one mile from Local 349's offices. He was interested in electricity and Carolyn's father encouraged him to explore an apprenticeship. He topped out as a journeyman wireman and became a Local 349 member in 1970.

Eight years later, he was appointed assistant business manager — a position he held for nearly 25 years under longtime business manager Art Fernandez. He took over as business manager following Fernandez's retirement in 2003 and has been re-elected seven times since.

He's also been an active member in Electrical Workers Without Borders, a volunteer group of electricians that uses its skills to improve electrical systems in impoverished areas around the world.

Still, don't think honors like these have Riley thinking about retirement. He enjoys his work with Local 349 and the IEC too much to leave just yet.

"I'm in pretty good health and I don't know what I would do at home except pet the dog," he said. "I love my work and I love the IBEW. You have an opportunity to help people and help their families."

He said he couldn't ask for better friends than International President Lonnie R. Stephenson and International Secretary-Treasurer Kenneth W. Cooper along with former International President Edwin D. Hill.

"I remind people there's a difference between the IBEW and a contractor and any other business," he said. "It's a family. It's not a business."

Like many local unions, Tulsa, Okla., Local 584 is filled with outdoors-loving members, and more than a dozen of them leapt at the opportunity to help the Union Sportsmen's Alliance build 120 artificial fish habitats at a highly publicized event.

Thirteen Local 584 members assisted in building the habitats in front of spectators at the Redcrest Outdoor Sports Expo in Tulsa on March 26. Artificial habitats are underwater structures put in lakes and reservoirs to improve the quality of life for fish species, replenishing the supply and keeping them attractive to anglers.

Local 584 worked in conjunction with the Oklahoma AFL-CIO and other unions on the project, which was organized by USA and Major League Fishing's Fisheries Management Division. Many of the habitats were later put into the state's Lake Bixhoma.

Major League Fishing, which has a partnership with USA, was holding a fishing tournament at nearby Grand Lake on the same weekend as the expo.

"Everyone enjoyed it," said Blake Langworthy, Local 584's assistant business manager and executive board chairman. "Everybody who walked by asked what we were doing and there was a lot of communication with the spectators. It was pretty cool."

Even with their love for the outdoors, it was an unusual assignment for the Local 584 members. Most are accustomed to performing work on a jobsite away from outside attention. Their love of fishing and hunting usually takes them to isolated spots in nature.

But on this day, they were watched by hundreds, perhaps even thousands, of attendees passing through the expo hall throughout the day.

"It was a bit awkward, especially with the [television] cameras right in front of us," Local 584 member and journeyman wireman Amber Allison said. "But when you focused on your task and had something to do, it was business as usual."

Members wore shirts showing they were from Local 584 — a welcome site in Oklahoma, a right-to-work state that has become increasingly controlled by far-right politicians hostile to organized labor.

"Everyone we talked to was positive," Langworthy said. "There was no negative talk at all."

Artificial fishing habitats are usually made of PVC tubing and last much longer than the natural fishing habitats they replace, which often are composed of old cedar trees beneath the surface. They expedite algae growth, which attracts more fish to an area, keeping the population healthy and attractive to fishermen and anglers.

Recently, the tubing has been shaped more like a v-shaped limb instead of a round tube to cut down on snagging and losing lures and flies. Local 584 members spent the day cutting and assembling the tubing.

"Much of the natural fish habitat once found in many of our reservoirs has been buried by siltation or slowly degraded over time as it decomposes," said Steve Bardin, fisheries biologist with MLF's Fisheries Management Division. "This habitat loss must be addressed if we plan to continue to support healthy fish populations."

Union Sportsmen's Alliance officials said 41 union members volunteered on the project and worked 530 hours. Milwaukee Tool donated tools and Ferguson and MossBack Fish Habitat donated materials.

This wasn't the first time Local 584 has worked with the Union Sportsmen's Alliance. In 2018, it combined with Tulsa Local 102, Oklahoma City Local 1141 and other trades unions throughout the state to renovate a historic pavilion and fishing pier at a park in Henryetta, Okla.

"Volunteering in the communities we serve is something we take seriously, and fishing is taken seriously by many Oklahomans," Local 584 Business Manager Dustin Phelan said. "Working with the Union Sportsmen's Alliance allows us to contribute to that rich outdoor heritage while also showcasing the importance of union membership. It's something we hope to do well into the future."

The Union Sportsmen's Alliance is a non-profit organization made up of union members who use their outdoor skills to advance conservation efforts and preserve North America's outdoor heritage. Volunteers improve and build facilities that allow more access to the outdoors on public lands. They work to expose school-age children to the outdoors that might not normally get that opportunity.

Membership in USA is free for IBEW members, and those interested can learn more at unionsportsmen.org.

Members of San Jose, Calif., Local 332 have been slipping into high-heeled shoes for years to support their local YWCA and this year was no different.

"It's one of my favorite and long-standing events that Local 332 supports," said Lilliana Martinez, a fourth-year apprentice and co-captain of the event. "I look forward to it every year."

More than 150 members and their families participated in the YWCA Golden Gate Silicon Valley "Walk a Mile in Their Shoes" fundraiser, held on June 23 at the Santana Row shopping area. Billed as a light-hearted annual event to raise awareness about the serious issue of sexual assault and domestic violence, it raises much-needed funds to support critical and life-saving services for survivors. These services include shelter, therapy, legal support, childcare, employment assistance and outreach.

"It was a warm, beautiful day and the building trades really showed up," said Local 332 President Javier Casillas, who also co-captained the event. "Local 332 and UA Local 393 had the largest presence."

In addition to members walking, Local 332 also sponsored the event, raising more than $10,000. The event itself raised over $100,000 in total and was the first in-person walk since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic.

"We support Walk a Mile because now more than ever we need to support all women from domestic violence and sex trafficking," Casillas said. "We must do all that we can to support the safety of women."

According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, roughly one in four women will experience intimate partner violence at some point in their lives. On a typical day, more than 20,000 phone calls are placed to domestic violence hotlines nationwide. And evidence shows that domestic violence rates went up during the pandemic, particularly during the early days of the lockdown.

Local 332, which has about 3,700 members across a variety of classifications, has been participating in the event since 2008, thanks to a now-retired member, Sal Ventura. In 2007, Ventura was invited to participate and gathered his own team to do so. The following year, Local 332 got involved and that encouraged more members to participate.

"The cause behind the Walk a Mile event seems to resonate with our members on a personal and community level," Martinez said. "They are more than willing to continually support the services that YWCA provides for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. And through this connection to the YWCA, our local has increased sponsorship amounts, donations and member participation over the years."

Martinez also noted the similarity between the missions of the YWCA and that of the IBEW.

"The YWCA's mission statement aligns with the opening statement of our Declaration of the IBEW, 'Our cause is the cause of human justice, human rights, human security.' The YWCA is on a 'mission to eliminate racism, empower women, and promote peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all.' These are the missions our members value within our trade and personally."

Local 332 also supports other community events, including a turkey trot, a charity drive for their local Sacred Heart, Operation Freedom Paws which works with veterans and service dogs, and Christmas in the Park.