Page 3 - IBEW
P. 3
By Anna Guy
efore the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers—IBEW—was
formed in 1891, one out four electrical workers lost their lives doing
their jobs. The marvel of electricity was new, and it was hard to keep
Bup with the demand for electrical workers as more and more people
sought to bring electricity into their homes. The industry was in its infancy, as
were its safety standards; electrical workers didn’t have much in the way of
safety equipment or procedures, let alone proper training.
The Canadian arm of the IBEW was formed shortly after in 1899. For 120 years,
the IBEW has committed to the safety and skill level of its members, which now
reaches 70,000 members across the country. The largest union of electrical
workers in the world, the IBEW has expanded its scope, representing members
in fields a varying as utilities, manufacturing, construction, telecommunications,
cable, radio and television, shipyards, railroads, sound and alarm, pulp and paper
mills, mining, and government, to name a few.
2 3
