Huffington Post: Prescription for Union Growth: Be Proactive, Take Risks

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/edwin-d-hill/prescription-for-union-gr_b_753991.html

Edwin D. Hill

International President of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers

Posted: October 7, 2010 05:17 PM

What does a responsible union do when a deep recession causes work to dry up, and prospects for long-term growth appear limited? Do we wait passively for the market to dictate when our people can go back to work? Or do we take steps to shape our own future?

These are the choices faced by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) as we confront the ravages of the current economy and plan for the post-recessionary period. Like all change designed to achieve a long-term goal, our plan to capture the work we are not doing has caused some pushback by those who only understand the traditional way of doing business or, worse, those who will do or say anything to undermine the trade union movement.

Several media reports have trumpeted as fact that the IBEW is "hiring" less-qualified lower paid electricians to staff its jobs (unions don't hire; we provide the workforce), at the expense of its current membership. Others have crowed about our admitting that we are overpaid. This may pass for truth in today's world of 24/7 media, but neither gets at the truth, which is, as usual, requires more thought and analysis.

To put it simply, the IBEW is embarking on a program in its construction branch designed to increase our membership, provide more work for current and future members, expand our market share and ultimately raise standards of quality, safety, wages and benefits for worker across the electrical construction industry.

In 2011, the IBEW will celebrate 120 years of existence. We have built our reputation by working with our unionized contractors to provide the best-trained, safest and most productive electrical construction workforce in the world. We are proud that our journeymen earn a wage and benefit package that provides a solid, middle class living and, like people everywhere, are fighting to maintain our standard of living in an era of constant erosion of real wages, health care and pensions. Our goal is to raise everyone in our industry to our standards.


FULL story at link.