The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers was founded in 1891.  This union is comprised of proud union members with a wide diversity of skills and jobs.  One of the most progressive unions in existence, the IBEW represents some 750,000 members in the United States and Canada.

What is a Union?

A union is a group of workers who are united together to have a collective voice in obtaining workplace goals. There can be no democracy on the job without workers’ empowerment through their union.

What is a Union Contract?

A union contract is a signed agreement between the company and the union spelling out the rights of the workers.

What will be in our contract?

It is up to the union employees to decide what to negotiate for.  A negotiating committee is selected from among your co-workers.  Then, with the assistance of union negotiators, the committee will sit down with management to negotiate a contract.

The law says that both sides must bargain “in good faith” to reach an agreement on wages, benefits, and working conditions.  The contract will only take effect after it is ratified (approved) by a majority of the workers.

IBEW Local 35’s contract contains language regarding contract dispute procedures.  We specify in our contract that there shall be no stoppage of work either by strike or lockout.

Who runs the union?

The union is a democratic organization run by the members.  You elect the local officers.  You vote on many important issues.  You vote on your contract.  Union members elect delegates to the national conventions, where delegates elect national officers and vote on major issues.  The union is the people themselves.

Have you ever been mistreated?

Has your employer ever treated you unfairly?  Maybe a mistake on your paycheck?  Improper overtime pay? A misunderstanding on how many hours you actually worked?  Failure to divide overtime hours on an equable basis... or, maybe a question on time for lunch or breaks, starting or quitting times, pay for travel time, safety or many other issues.

What can you do about it if your boss doesn’t like you, treats you unfairly, denies you a promotion, disciplines or discharges you without just cause?  Probably nothing if you are not represented by the IBEW.

What can the union do about favoritism?

Fairness is the most important part of the union contract.  The same rules apply to everyone.  If any worker feels that he or she is not being treated fairly, then he or she still has the opportunity to complain to the supervisor, just like before.  But under a union contract, the supervisor or manager no longer has the final say.  They are no longer judge and jury.  If the worker is not satisfied with the response of the supervisor, the worker can file a grievance.

The first step of a grievance procedure is for the steward to accompany the worker to try and resolve the problem with the supervisor.  If the worker is not satisfied, the steward and the employee, with help from the Union Business Manager, can bring the grievance to higher management.  If the complaint is not resolved, then the issue can be placed before an outside neutral judge called an arbitrator.

IBEW Local Union 35 Respects and Protects Our Older Workers

How many electricians over the age of 45 do you see on the non-union jobs?  Overall, not many?  That’s because non-union construction employers do not provide the fringe benefits that older electricians need.

As an electrician grows older, benefits become more important.  The likelihood of major surgery, heart attack, disabling illness, etc., increases.  The need to earn decent retirement benefits also becomes more urgent.  Because of this, many older electricians leave the non-union construction industry to accept other jobs in order to obtain the benefit coverage they know they need.

As union electricians, we have excellent fringe benefits and, as we grow older, we are covered by minimum employment quotas as well.

In I.B.E.W. Local Union 35, we value our older workers.  Their years of experience and their wealth of knowledge in the electrical trade are a valuable resource this union will never disregard.

Wage and Benefits

As union members, we bargain collectively with our employers over wages, benefits, and rights.  We offer an excellent wage and benefit package to our members.  Our current contract rates are as follows:  

Our current contract rate is $ 51.51 per hour including both wages and benefits.

Need another reason?

Under the employment at will doctrine, the cornerstone of American employment law, in general terms, unless we belong to a protected group, our employer has the right to discipline or terminate us, with impunity, for any reason – even a bad one – or for no reason at all.  That’s why it is sometimes called the fire at will doctrine.

With a collective bargaining agreement, we have rights.  Management must have “just cause” for any disciplinary action taken against a union employee.  “Just cause” is spelled out in our union contract so that we know exactly what is expected of us.

Industry Standards

Our brothers and sisters in the electrical industry stand as an example for construction workers across the world.  We claim to be the most-productive, highest-skilled and best-trained electricians.  In order to live up to this claim, we must endeavor to achieve this high set of standards, and help each other attain them.  The following goals are just a part of an overall value system that we have established for ourselves over the last century.

• Give “eight for eight”, which means to be where you should be on the job performing your assigned tasks.  Give an honest day’s work.
• Use the proper tools for the job at hand.
• Be a safe employee and point out unsafe conditions to others.
• Be a drug- and alcohol-free worker.
• Be an ambassador for our industry; make sure our customers would want to hire you again.
• Listen to and carry out work assignments in a timely fashion.
• Use materials in an appropriate manner, thus eliminating waste.
• Treat employers’ tools as well as you would treat your own.
• Respect the steward and supervision.
• Through the quality of your work, show that you are the most-productive, highest-skilled and best-trained electrician the customer could employ.
• Have a sense of pride in your craftsmanship.
• Have a positive attitude about your work on and off the job.
• Honor the provisions of your collective bargaining agreement.

We believe that union electricians have a high quality product to sell.  Some our of product benefits are:

Access to New Members Uniform Benefits Quality Installation Common Marketing Level Playing Field Grievance Procedure Safety Training Access to Skilled Labor No Strike Clause Access to Apprentices Ability to Shed Workers History of Cooperation Availability of Workers

Efficiency Accountability Journeyman Training Higher Profit Margin Stable Labor Rates Faster Growth Possible Enhanced Productivity Drug Screening Reduce per Diem Pay Portability of Benefits Access to Information Eliminate Personnel Manager On Time / In Budget

Flexibility Portability Higher Morale Access to NECA Political Representation Specialized Training Business Network Right to Manage Pension Credits Collective Bargaining Good for Employees

If you are an open shop employee and can’t decide whether to join a union, consider this:


All these associations are unions that were formed by employers to promote and benefit their interests.  Why can’t you have an organization that works for your benefit and well-being?

Did you know that:

Your contractor signs an agreement for everything he does;
Your contractor signs a contact when they win a bid;
Your contractor signs a contract when they buy electrical supplies; and
Your contractor would not buy any supplies or perform any work without signing a contract.

The only contract they won’t sign is the contract that protects the rights of their workers.