What is the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers?
The IBEW is an international labor organization representing workers in the fields of utilities, broadcasting, telecommunications, construction, manufacturing, railroad and a number of other fields. Members of the IBEW collectively bargain for better wages, benefits and working conditions. The basic theme of the IBEW is that collectively, as a group, the power to bargain is much greater than done on an individual basis.
You, the worker, run Local 38. You elect your own negotiating committee and prepare your own list of improvements for a union contract. You elect your own officers and job stewards. The union is not “outsiders,” it is you, the worker.
It is illegal for you to be fired, punished or harassed for attending union meetings or supporting Local 38. The law protects your right as workers to improve your working conditions.
No, it is against the law for the company to take away any benefits you now have in order to punish you for voting for a union.
It is against the law for the company to close or threaten to close because of union activity. Remember, companies go out of business because people stop using their service, not because their workers are treated fairly.
Usually, the company tries to influence employees with scare-talk, anti-union speeches and letters. On the other hand, expect the company to be on their best behavior until the campaign is over. Some companies even make improvements during a union campaign, hoping employees will forget about their past problems.
Yes. The law requires the company to bargain “in good faith” with the negotiating committee, who the employees elect.
Organize your workplace
Workers in the electrical industry deserve top tier wages, benefits and working conditions. Unfortunately, if we don’t stick together and fight for a higher standard of living, our terms of employment are solely determined by our bosses. THIS IS WHY LOCAL 38 MATTERS.
Bring Local 38 to Your Shop
Contrary to popular belief, the process of forming a union starts with you and your co-workers. One thing we as working people must never forget, unity leads to power. As long as you stand together with your fellow co-workers, the opportunities for a life as a union worker are endless!
The process looks something like the following:
Talk to your co-workers:
- Co-workers discuss their shared concerns about the job, their employer and the interest and potential benefits of joining Local 38.
- After determining Local 38 is the right choice, workers contact a union organizer to start building a plan for a successful campaign.
We work with you:
- Union organizers will work with you and your co-workers to effectively empower and protect you in the path towards unionization.
- With the help of the union, workers majority support for the cause of their shop.
Vote Union Yes!:
- Finally, an election is held. If a majority of workers in a shop vote to join the union, their employer is legally obligated to negotiate an agreement.
Union Facts
With a union in your workplace, you are more likely to enjoy the following:
- Wages that match your skills
- Health Benefits for you and your family
- Multiple pension and retirement income plans
- The best training in the industry and excellent safety conditions on the jobsite.
- Respect and dignity that you deserve on the job
Additionally, as a Local 38 member, you will acquire representation impossible to receive anywhere else, especially in the non-union sector of the electrical industry.
As evidenced above, the Union is about worker empowerment. Join the over 2,000 Brothers and Sisters of Local 38 for a better life for you and your family.
Contact Organizer Kevin Wilson at (216).621.3090 or kwilson@ibew38.org.