It wasn't just President Joe Biden who took time away from his busy schedule to thank the IBEW and its members for their contributions to the U.S. and Canadian economies or to point to the incredible things that can be accomplished when union members and like-minded political allies work together.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau addressed IBEW delegates by video on Day 1 of the 40th International Convention, telling them that "Canada's workers and labor unions have built this country.

"You turn big, ambitious infrastructure ideas into reality,'' said Trudeau, who spoke in both English and French. "You maintain and create vast telecommunications networks that keep us connected with the world. And you modernize the cities and towns we call home.

"But as always, there is more to do."

One bit of good news that looks to be coming is a federal tax deduction for Canada's construction workers, which will allow them to deduct up to CAN$4,000 per year for travel expenses when filling jobs around the country.

The IBEW and other trades have pushed for the change for decades and it was included in this year's federal budget. It provides relief for men and women working in the trades and corrects an inequity issue. Working professionals in Canada such as doctors, lawyers and accountants have long been able to deduct travel expenses.

"Like many of our peer countries, Canada is facing a significant labor shortage and it is threating the ambition we share," Trudeau said. "That is why our government is working in lockstep with organizations like yours to strengthen our labor market and the people at the heart of it. A union-led advisory table will support the government offering priority investments to help workers navigate the changing labor market."

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker welcomed delegates to one of America's greatest union cities in a speech that kicked off the IBEW's 40th International Convention.

"The people of this city and state are thrilled once again to host your international convention," he said May 9. "It is a city and a state rich in the history of the struggle for labor rights. Chicago workers have been at the forefront of fighting for fair wages, reasonable hours, and safe working conditions for all people."

Pritzker thanked the IBEW for being on the front lines of those battles and more, including his election in 2018 that put an end to the previous governor's union-busting.

"The men and women of the IBEW were instrumental in helping me to defeat the Republican administration of former governor Bruce Rauner, who tried to strip away your right to organize," he said. "By the way, we didn't just win, we beat him by the largest margin against any incumbent in state history."

Together with supermajorities in the House and Senate — and the exhaustive efforts of the IBEW — Pritzer successfully banned local right-to-work laws, signed a massive energy and jobs bill, and passed Rebuild Illinois, a $45 billion capital bill that he said is creating and supporting hundreds of thousands of union jobs.

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot thanked the IBEW for staging its 40th International Convention in the city, reminding delegates during an opening session speech of the area's labor history and that her city remains the national leader in union construction.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it's a good time to be a tradesman or tradeswoman in the city of Chicago," Lightfoot said.

"I cannot think of a better city for you to meet and renew your values. Our economy is booming. Chicago is rated the No. 1 destination in the country for new construction jobs."

"Chicago has always been a great union town and Lori Lightfoot is committed to keeping it that way," Chicago Local 134 Business Manager Don Finn said while introducing Lightfoot, the first Black woman to serve as the city's mayor.

Lightfoot was among the earliest backers of striking Chicago Local 1220 technicians, who walked off the job for three weeks against public television station WTTW earlier this year before agreeing to a fair contract. She appeared at a Local 1220 rally in front of the station during the walkout.

Speaking of the many legendary labor struggles that occurred in Chicago, such as the 1894 Pullman Strike and the 1886 Haymarket Massacre, Lightfoot highlighted the host city's importance to the labor movement for so many decades.

"More than 100 years after the rise of the labor movement, the fight for dignity and equitable treatment of all workers across all industries continues regardless of race, ethnicity and nationality," Lightfoot said. "As mayor, I am proud to defend and protect the talented and skilled workers in the [construction] industry."

Sen. Dick Durbin delivered a speech to the convention on its final morning, where he updated gathered delegates on the ongoing fight on Capitol Hill for working men and women.

"Senator Durbin is my home state senator, and I've gotten to know him well over the years," said International President Lonnie R. Stephenson, a native of Rock Island, Ill. "He knows, like President Biden, that unions built the middle class. His door has been always open to the IBEW members."

During his remarks, Durbin was equally complimentary of Stephenson. "Lonnie really speaks for you, and we listen in Washington, D.C.," said Durbin, the second-ranking Democrat in the Senate.

Recalling his childhood in East St. Louis, Ill., Durbin said his father's union helped his mother and brothers get by after his father died of lung cancer at age 53. "We made it because we were a union family," he said. "I thought every family was a union family."

What kept his mother going, he said, "was a union pension from my dad that made sure there was food on the table and every son got a chance to go to college." He noted that he and his brothers also joined unions during their own work experiences.

"I think focusing on working families like those represented in your union is the way to build a strong America," Durbin said, "focusing on a union movement that gives everybody a pathway to success in life."

Durbin applauded the union's IBEW Strong program, which works to increase diversity in the ranks and leadership. "More and more we are moving in that direction as a nation. It is a healthy thing," he said. "Let's make sure the union movement continues to look like America."

U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth, one of Capitol Hill's strongest voices for veterans in addition to her advocacy for workers, was elected to the U.S. House in 2012 and the Senate in 2016. She spoke via video, apologizing for not being able to join the delegates in person.

"As a senator, I'm working to make it easier, not harder, to join unions like the IBEW because all Americans and their families deserve access to a safe working environment and fair employment practices," she said.

Duckworth is up for re-election in Illinois in 2022. Praising her track record, Stephenson said it "includes her stalwart support for the bipartisan Infrastructure and Jobs Act, which is bringing $17 billion in federal funds to Illinois for roads, bridges, public transit and airports, clean water, broadband expansion, and EV charging stations."

"Every day, millions of people across America rely on the hard work, skills, and expertise of workers like you," Duckworth told delegates and guests. "So know this: you have an ally in me, and day or night I'm going to keep working for you in the Senate, supporting policies that protect American jobs and don't put corporate profits over hard-working Illinoisans and Americans."

Illinois Senate President Don Harmon delivered brief but moving remarks on the second day of the 40th International Convention, highlighting his IBEW roots and his state's support for labor.

"I'm proud to say that my family is part of your history," said Harmon, who has spent 20 years in the state Senate and is up for re-election this year.

"Harmon Electric is no more, but for years it was the economic lifeblood of the Harmon family," he said. "Founded by my grandpa and my uncle on the west side of the city in 1924, Harmon Electric helped build the old Chicago Stadium. It also secured the Harmon family's place in the middle class."

Harmon said he'd always been told that his family's business was a strong union shop, but recently he found proof in a World War II-era Chicago Tribune article.

"The story goes like this. Harmon Electric was the low bidder on a South Side water plant.

It was a quarter-million-dollar project, which was certainly a lot of money then. But my Uncle Art refused to sign the contract.

"He refused because the terms were changed, and it didn't include paying workers overtime. Uncle Art stood with his union workers and the terms of his contract with them.

"So it is an honor for me to be able to stand before all of you today as an ally in our fight to protect the rights of working men and women all across this great nation," Harmon said.

Illinois Speaker of the House of Representatives Emanuel "Chris" Welch delivered a rousing speech that fired up the crowd on Day 3 of the 40th International Convention.

"What I cherish about the IBEW is your pride in union heritage and the firm belief in the institutions of democracy in the workplace," he said.

Welch, the first Black lawmaker to hold the position of speaker, talked about the importance of unions and collective bargaining and the strong role that the IBEW has played in Illinois.

He also complimented attendees on not being strangers to hard work and sacrifice.

"You literally keep the world running," he said.

Without unions, Welch said, employees would have little to no say in wages, benefits, working conditions and workplace safety.

"The freedom for workers to join together in union is a fundamental right that should always be protected," he said.

Welch also reminded the room of the importance of being at the table and pointed to the IBEW's role in banning right-to-work in Illinois at the local level.

"Keep pulling up those chairs to the collective bargaining table," he said. "We need you at the table, we need your voice, we need you to stay visible, we need you to stay proud and we need you stay alive, because the labor movement is a win for the people."