“The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers is committed to improving the lives of North America’s electrical workers and their families. With more than 725,000 members, the IBEW is among the world’s strongest labor organizations, representing workers in a range of skilled occupations in a wide variety of fields, including utility, telecommunications, broadcasting, manufacturing, government, and railroad. Formed in 1891, we have earned our reputation as the oldest, largest, and most professional electrical union in the world.”

• To organize all workers in the United States and Canada, including all those in public utilities and electrical manufacturing, into local unions
• To promote reasonable methods of work
• To cultivate feelings of friendship among those in our industry
• To settle all disputes between employers and employees by arbitration (if possible)
• To assist each other in sickness or distress
• To secure employment
• To reduce the hours of daily labor
• To secure adequate pay for our work
• To seek a higher standard of living
• To seek security for the individual
• In the interest of a higher standard of citizenship and by  legal and proper means, the IBEW will seek to elevate the moral, intellectual, and social conditions  of our members, their families and dependents

Improving the Lives of Working Families

A labor union or trade union is an organized group of workers who unite to make decisions about conditions affecting their work. Labor unions strive to bring economic justice to the workplace and social justice to our nation. 

Union Membership Gives Strength in Numbers

All workers benefit from unions because unions set pay standards and workplace protections. Union members — workers like you — benefit most from the union’s collective bargaining power to negotiate with employers on their behalf. This basic right gives you as a union member more power than if you tried to negotiate as an individual. 

More benefits of union membership.

• Union employees make an average of 30% more than non-union workers.
• 96% of union workers have job-related health coverage versus 69% of non-union workers.
• Union workers are more likely to have guaranteed pensions than non-union employees.

Unions help protect employees from unjust dismissal through collective bargaining agreements (CBA). Because of this, most union employees cannot be fired without “just cause.” This is unlike many nonunion workers who are considered “at-will” employees and can be fired at any time for almost any reason.

Union members also benefit from having the collective power to go on strike. A strike is when a group of workers stops working either in protest of labor conditions or as a bargaining tool during labor/management negotiations.

Unions are Good for America and all Americans

Unions are associated with higher productivity, lower employee turnover, improved workplace communication, and a better-trained workforce.

There is a substantial amount of academic literature on the following benefits of unions and unionization to employers and the economy:

• Economic growth
• Productivity
• Competitiveness
• Product or service delivery and quality
• Training
• Turnover
• Solvency of the firm
• Workplace health and safety
• Economic development