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Any convention involves a Herculean effort. Any convention sees a tremendous amount of business conducted and related activities undertaken. From our preliminary conferencesthe COPE, Womens and Minority Caucus meetingsto our great Expo, to the festivities of last Saturday, to our uplifting opening ceremonies, we started our 36th convention off with great pride and celebration.

And then on Tuesday, the world changed. The tragedy and outrage that engulfed all of our emotions on Tuesday were overwhelming. It was, to say the least, difficult to carry on the business of the convention under those circumstances. Yet you persevered, and, as you showed on Wednesday morning, you will not nownor ever willbe beaten.

Words cannot begin to express the deep satisfaction and appreciation I feel, and we all should feel, at the way we conducted ourselves this week. The level of solidarity and cooperation among delegates was truly outstanding. We faced situations that had the potential to divide us. We had lively debate on several issues. Yet, the spirit of unity won the day every time. A fine example is the outpouring of support for our Oklahoma brothers and sisters in their fight against right-to-work. This convention was yet another reminder that when you are part of the IBEW, you walk a difficult road sometimes, but you never walk alone.

We are proud to be Americans. We are proud to be Canadians. And we are proud to be the IBEW. I am extremely proud to lead all of you. We leave with sadness in our hearts for our fallen brothers and sisters. But we also leave with a stronger spirit, fresh determination, and a renewed will to shape a progressive future.

Brothers and sisters, please take care on your journey home. May God deliver us all safely back to our homes and families. And may we take the spirit of this convention and strengthen our bridge to opportunity. Thank you for being the very best labor has to offer.

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