Chicago Local Teaches Area Firefighters How to Stay Safe with Solar

FIRST PUBLISHED IN 1893 Printed in the USA International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Vol. 14 | No. 12 | December 2020 IBEW News A Fight for Dignity 3 Film Brings Labor History to Life Chicago Local Teaches Area Firefighters How to 6 Stay Safe with Solar Combating Right-to-Work Oklahoma Organizers’ Success in the Face of RTW 8 A Sight on Rails Special BNSF Locomotive Visits Nebraska Members 8 In This Issue Editorials 2 My IBEW Story 2 PBF Summary Annual Report 5 Credit: IAFF Credit: North of 49° 9 Politics & Jobs 10 One of a firefighter’s first jobs on the scene of a building fire is to punch holes in the roof to release smoke and fumes trapped inside. But solar panel Circuits 11 installations can complicate that job and make it even more dangerous. Transitions 12 t’s among a firefighter’s worst-case scenarios: An them,” said Local 134 business representative Robert Spotlight on Safety 13 overnight call to a scene where the surroundings Hattier, who worked to build a training curriculum are dark and unfamiliar and every step poses LESSONS IN around solar safety. “It made me realize, we’re always Local Lines 14 life-threatening danger, not from flames or thinking of the electrical inspectors who work with Idegraded structure — they’re used to that — but from permitting authorities to prevent problems, but what Retirees 17 live wires, trip hazards and physical impediments to SOLIDARITY about the first responders’ safety?” 18 the most basic of firefighting strategies. Already, Hattier has trained hundreds of fire- In Memoriam This safety worry has played out night after night It’s why lawmakers and building-code regula- fighters at dozens of station houses throughout Illi- NEAP Benefit Notice 19 across the world as the use of commercial and resi- tors have increasingly turned to updating rules for nois about the well-known and lesser-known dangers dential solar power has grown over the last few solar installations and fire departments have sought of solar power generation. He combines class- NEAP Summary Annual Report 19 decades. As builders and customers have turned to out additional training for crews responding to fires room-based lectures and discussions with hands-on where solar is part of the safety equation. And who 20 low-cost, low-environmental-impact photovoltaic and experience when possible, giving first responders a Who We Are battery technology, firefighters have had to wrestle better to help lead that training than the men and chance to see and safely touch what they might be up with the added dangers presented by rooftop panels. women who often install the panels themselves? against in an actual firefighting situation. At Chicago Local 134, whose jurisdiction covers In July, Hattier trained Engine Company 115 of all of Chicago and 133 other incorporated municipali- the Chicago Fire Department at a 10-megawatt facil- ties in Illinois’ Cook County, the opportunity to help ity on the city’s South Side. “As the responding neighboring fire departments navigate the potential company to the 40-acre site, it was important to dangers of solar power was one that local leaders address the specific concerns raised if they receive couldn’t pass up. It started when representatives from a call,” he said. In the course of three days, the first the Alsip Fire Department, located near the local’s responders trained on and discussed procedures training center, reached out for help. about gaining access to the site and how to mitigate “They called us because they were starting to potential hazards. see more and more solar get installed within the last few years, and they knew we could help educate STAY SAFE WITH SOLAR continued on page 4 WWW.IBEW.ORG 2 The Electrical Worker | December 2020 EDITORIALSFROM THE OFFICERS David Cardy, Retired Gas Service Technician Tuscon, Ariz., Local 1116 Looking to 2021 “ isters and brothers, we’re coming to the end of one of the most challenging years we can remember, and we’re proud to say that IBEW members across North America stood strong and rose to meet the moment together. SThe COVID-19 pandemic has meant enormous sacrifices on both per- sonal and professional levels. For some of us, that meant lengthy work stoppages, layoffs and furloughs. For others, it meant reporting to essen- tial jobs under the threat of illness for us and our families. For all of us, it has meant missing birthdays and weddings and time spent with family and friends. Lonnie R. Stephenson Tragically, COVID-19 has cost the lives of friends and family members International President as well as a great many of our IBEW brothers and sisters. If you’re among those who have experienced loss from this horrible disease, know that all of us across this brotherhood join you in your grief. But this pandemic has also laid bare the differences between people who work for a living and those who get rich from our efforts. The stock market has soared, but wages have stayed flat and unemployment checks are running out. CEOs and Wall Street bankers report they’re doing better than ever, while Main Street workers have resorted to food banks and been forced to make other tough financial sacrifices. We know we’re not out of the woods yet, but hopefully there’s an end in sight. Your IBEW sisters and brothers are hard at work as we speak put- ting the finishing touches on production lines that will soon be creating hundreds of millions of vaccines to combat this disease. Every member in every branch has a story to tell about how Kenneth W. Cooper International Secretary-Treasurer And when things do return to normal, whatever that looks like, we the IBEW has improved their life both on and off the job. want each of you to be ready. Because the opportunities for the IBEW and Tell us yours today for a chance to be featured here. its members in both the U.S. and Canada are going to be enormous. Over the last year, we’ve seen some of the highest approval numbers for unions among the public in ibew.org/MyIBEWStory decades. Men and women across every sector of the economy have seen the value of having a voice on the job. When your safety is at stake, everything else matters a little less, and millions of working people across North America have had to learn that the hard way this year. So, we need to be ready to spread the gospel of collective bargaining and unions far and wide as our economies recover and people get back to work. And believe us, working people are ready to listen. We’re also coming off the conclusion of one of the most divisive elections of our lifetimes here in the U.S. Whether your side won or lost, there are going to be opportunities for IBEW members during the Biden administration. First, the foot that’s been on the neck of union organizers for the last four years is going away. We’ll have allies on the National Labor Relations Board and in the Labor Department, and we’ll finally see some deci- sions that put workers ahead of corporate special interests. We expect to see Congress move to fix our troubled multiemployer pension system as well. We also have a commitment from the incoming administration that something is finally going to get done on infrastructure and energy. A massive investment in our roads, bridges, ports and airports should have been the one thing Repub- licans and Democrats could have agreed on over the last four years, but nothing happened. Our energy infrastructure is equally as important, laying the groundwork for the enormous technological changes that will be ushered in over the coming decades. On each of these things, President-elect Biden understands the challenges and will work with Congress to finally get the ball rolling. And you’d better believe he will work to make sure the job is done union. A huge part of making sure we win this work is also up to us. Our Code of Excellence puts us at a huge ENTER TO WIN THE advantage to our nonunion competition. Employers and customers see the standards we hold ourselves to and can’t help but be impressed. But it’s on each of us to live up to those commitments each day on the job FISHING TRIP OF A LIFETIME and to hold one another accountable. Another commitment to being our best is the pledge we’ve made to be IBEW Strong. Our union is at its best when it reflects the communities we serve, and we have made it a priority to recruit and train the next WITH MARK ZONA generation of electrical workers from as broad a pool of talent as possible. Our commitment to diversity is how we grow, how we man bigger jobs and increase market share. It’s how we live up to our loftiest goals as a union — to represent every worker in the electrical industry. The next few months will continue to be a struggle. This virus isn’t going away for some time, and there are sacrifices yet to make. But in the not too distant future, 2021 will be a time for celebration, growth and, yes, a lot of hard work. ENTER TODAY! Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and a joyful New Year to all of you and your families. z WWW.USACONTEST.ORG The Electrical Worker | December 2020 3 Bringing a Famous Strike to Life, Movie Tells Universal Workers’ Story “ What if you could get ninety dollars in six months?” “ Quit dreaming, there’s no union here.” age, misery, passion and pur- download along with pose were building to a crescen- a study guide, and do in 1919 Winnipeg.

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