Rebuilding History
Oregon Local Lights Up
'Track and Field Heaven

St. Louis Gives Back
Local 1 Volunteers Changing Lives
One Home at a Time

North of 49°
Free Course in B.C. Provides a Low-Barrier Introduction to the
Electrical Trade

Au nord du 49° parallèle
Cours gratuit sur l'introduction du métier d'électricien est offert à tous en C.-B.

Regina Campbell

A Century of Progress

Building Taller, Growing Stronger
Toronto Boomtown

The fastest growing skyline in North America isn't where you might guess.

Since 2009, no city in the United States — the birthplace of the skyscraper — has added more tall buildings to its skyline than Toronto. And nowhere is a local union working harder to wring market share growth from a boom than Toronto Local 353.

Since 2005, the Greater Toronto area has added 77 buildings over 100 meters (about 330 feet), and more than 100 are currently under construction. The next closest is New York City with only 75. Incredibly, nearly 300 more skyscrapers have been proposed in Greater Toronto.

But the really dramatic changes are in the buildings that are even taller. Between 1978 and 2004, only five 150-meter-plus buildings were completed in Toronto, according to the Council on Tall Buildings.

Then, seven were finished in 2019 alone. Six more opened in 2020. And eight more were completed last year. By the end of this year, a remarkable 16 more are expected, projects that will completely change Toronto's skyline forever.

There are 10 projects, either proposed or underway, that will top out above 300 meters, including Canada's first supertall, the 336-meter, IBEW-built The One.

Like The One, nearly all the new construction, more than 90%, is either pure residential or mixed-use.

"The younger generation looks at the world differently. They're more laid back; their free time is more important than anything else. They don't want to commute or mow the lawn. A condo is easy to lock up and head out. And to head out on foot, you need to be downtown," said Local 353 Business Manager Lee Caprio.

As every construction worker quickly learns, construction is a cyclical industry. You do as much work as possible in the highs and consolidate during the lows.

Stephenson:
Workers Have the Power
Cooper:
Be an Everyday Organizer

Thomas Reid;
William "Bill" Martindale;
Gary Osborne

Siemens USA's $54M Investment Promises More IBEW Manufacturing Jobs;
NLRB Seeks to End Captive
Audience Meetings; Employers Sue;
Idaho Strengthens
Penalties for Assaulting
Utility Workers

Boston Local Donates
Van to Technical School;
DOL Report: The Pandemic's Toll on Working Women;
Lineworker Scholarship Aims to Diversify Workforce;
Milwaukee Partnership Opens Doors of
Opportunity

July 2022

Minnesota Member Wins Advocacy Award