The journey from that room in the dance hall to day has been a long and sometimes difficult one for the IBEW. It has covered two World Wars, a great depression, internal disputes, hostile government leaders. It has linked two great nations, joined diverse trades within the electrical industry, and brought together people of different social, ethnic, religious and political backgrounds.
When the journey began, the War Between the States was as fresh in the minds of Americans as the Vietnam War is for us today. There were only 44 states in the union. The British North America Act, establishing the Dominion of Canada, was less than 30 years old. And electric lights were considered more of a luxury than a necessity.
Today, electricity is everywhere. It powers our computers, elevators, heaters, air conditioners, telephones. It starts our cars, warms our coffee, give us the news, drys our hair, entertains us. It lights our way, powers our hospitals, drives our trains, gives us music, cooks our food and allows every industry to produce the products we consume every day.
Today the men and women of the IBEW make that electricity possible -- whether it's building the machines, producing the power, controlling a repairing the communications system, broadcasting, or bring the power into our homes and offices.
Important Dates in the IBEW's history. . . .
1891 - NBEW, National Brotherhood of Electrical Workers was founded.
In the same year, it became affiliated with the American Federation of
Labor, AFL.
1893 - First publication of the Electrical Workers Journal was published
on January 15th. Originally known as The Electrical Workers, it is still
in publication today.
1899 - NBEW became international, and the IBEW.
1920 - Council on Industrial Relations was founded.
1920 - IBEW headquarters moved from Springfield, Illinois to Washington,
DC.
1922 - EWBA, the Electrical Workers Benefit Association was formed.
1927 - IBEW pension plan established in August at the Convention in
Detroit.
1929 - IBEW moved into its own building at 1200 - 15th Street, N.W.
in Washington.
1946 - Employees Benefit Agreement signed the NECA (National Electrical
Contractors Association) and IBEW.
1947 - Permanent National Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee
for the Electrical Industry formed.
1954 - The IBEW convention in Chicago was the largest labor union convention
ever held in the world.
1963 - Supreme Court ruling supported authority of the IBEW Constitution.
1972 - IBEW membership reached 1,000,000.
1982 - IBEW affiliated with the Canadian Federation of Labour.
The address of the IBEW. . . . International Brotherhood of Electrical
Workers 1125 - 15th Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20005 Telephone (202)
833-7000
International President and Secretary. . . .