From letters to social media posts to "My IBEW Story" on page 2 every month, we know how much members value their union and the negotiated wages and benefits that allow them and their families to live their best lives.

But for smiles as wide as a pension check, talk to IBEW retirees.

They'll tell you about overseas vacations, Alaskan cruises, traveling North America in an RV, and remodeling their homes; investing more time in such lifelong pleasures as fishing, hunting, motorcycling and restoring classic cars; throwing themselves into charity work, spoiling their grandchildren and the ability to simply relax.

As you'll see below, there are also joys that come from lasting bonds with their IBEW brothers and sisters through local Retirees' Clubs.

"I'm happy every day," says a past New York City Local 3 wireman who helps lead his Retirees' Club chapter in Westchester and Putnam counties.

Donald Finn, business manager of Chicago Local 134, hears it all the time: "Whenever I talk to a retiree, they always say thank God for the IBEW for what they have. Not everybody gets what we do in retirement."

It's the ultimate freedom, said International President Kenneth W. Cooper.

"Financial worries are some of life's heaviest burdens," he said. "Being free of them means you get to decide what the rest of your life looks like — and for many of our retirees, that's 30, 40, even 50 years enjoying the rewards of an IBEW career. Maybe you'll see the world. Maybe you'll sit on your deck and read a book. It's entirely up to you."

Going forward, inside construction members have even more to look forward to in retirement — an additional monthly payment for every year of service went into effect Jan. 2. It is the first increase in National Electrical Benefit Fund payments in 25 years.

The trustees also created an additional employer-funded pension plan called the National Electrical Individual Benefit. Subject to local bargaining, NEIB benefits are based on the number of hours that members work for NECA contractors throughout their careers.

"These are generational changes for the retirement security of our current members and our future members," Cooper said. "It is a huge source of pride for us knowing that our members can retire while they've still got lots of life left in them, and that they can retire well."

Brian Rappaport is grateful that Miami Local 349's Retirees' Club offers so many excellent membership benefits, from monthly potluck lunches to tours through parks and historical sites — not to mention the club's sponsorship of a recent weekend boat cruise out of Fort Lauderdale to Key West and Bimini Island.

But the club's impressive list of activities is not the primary reason the president of Local 349 joined upon his retirement last August.

Instead, he said, "it's about the fact that there is a Brotherhood that extends once you hang up the tools."

Rappaport's long IBEW career included three decades of service in various leadership roles with his local. "You spend all these years with these folks," he said. "After you retire, you're not just going to be lost wandering in the wilderness. There's a support network that's out there."

Having such a solid and experienced network of IBEW retirees to lean on is extremely helpful, Rappaport said.

"It gives you an opportunity to get fresh eyes on a problem that you have that somebody else may have already gone through," he said, such as navigating changes in Medicare. "Talking to others in similar situations is a tremendous plus."

Local 349 member Frank Auer, who was elected president of the club shortly after he retired and joined it three years ago, said he got involved to give something back to the IBEW.

"I wasn't able to do as much when I was raising a family," said Auer, who worked for nearly 30 years as a wireman, followed by another 20 years as a superintendent for a large signatory contractor. "The union has been extremely good to us. I wish I'd tried harder to be active."

Auer's wife, Brenda, serves as the club's recording and publishing secretary. "Since my husband and I have joined, we've made new friends," she said. "We get together outside of the club and have dinner together. It's like opening up a whole new world because guess what? Now we have time to do things that are fun."

That participation by retirees and their spouses helps give the Local 349 club "more of a family feeling," Rappaport said. "The thing that draws me in is the friendship and the camaraderie. It's just a real warm feeling that you get."

With that in mind, Auer and Rappaport, who continue to work with Local 349's JATC, encourage younger IBEW members to attend the local's meetings and be as involved with their union as much as possible.

They know it's not easy. "They're being pulled a thousand different ways," Auer said. "They have a lot of responsibilities."

Rappaport added that he's seen a recent shift in young people's attitudes toward retirement.

"Our age group is the kind that wanted to do things like that together, because when we came up through the union, there were a lot of events that brought us together," he said. "The newer and younger brothers and sisters haven't been brought up that way."

Auer and Rappaport hope to change that, agreeing that it's crucial to communicate the value of IBEW membership early and often.

"Unions are some of the only places left in the world where you can still earn a pension," said Rappaport, who continues to serve as a trustee on Local 349's apprenticeship committee. "These healthcare benefits of ours, and things that carry on into retirement, are what's going to make or break you when you reach retirement age."

Jefferson City, Mo., Local 257 is sandwiched between larger local unions in St. Louis and Kansas City. It's not a particularly large local in terms of members, especially by construction standards, currently with about 700 members.

That's part of what makes its Retirees' Club so vital to so many and why it is so active.

"The fellowship is because it is a smaller union and everyone knows everyone," said Connie Hamacher, who serves as the club's press secretary after her husband retired as a Local 257 member. "They look forward to seeing each other at our events and meetings."

Jefferson City is the state capital and Local 257 has jurisdiction in Columbia, home of the University of Missouri's flagship campus. Yet, many of its members and retirees live on farms or in small towns that dot the central part of the state.

Getting together isn't always easy, but the club's emphasis on fellowship and frolicking has given those retirees incentive to do so since it was chartered in 1988.

"We just have a lot of fun," retired wireman and club President Ron Holzhauser said. "It's a group that gets together and enjoys being social.

"We talk and cuss at each other every once in a while," Holzhauser added with a laugh. "It's like you're back on the job."

Holzhauser noted that his IBEW career allowed him and his wife to raise four children comfortably. They are grown, and the couple now spends part of their time traveling, including internationally.

A good salary and good pension plan made that happen, which he hopes isn't lost on active members.

"These young kids nowadays really need to know about the retirement plan," he said. "It's better than it's ever been."

Club members put together a float for Jefferson City's annual Labor Day Parade. It's in addition to the one put together for Local 257's active members. It annually makes a financial contribution to St. Jude Children's Hospital in Memphis, Tenn., during the holiday season.

There is a brick recognizing the club at the Henry Miller Museum, which is housed inside the courtyard next to the building where the IBEW was founded in St. Louis in 1891, and members have visited there.

Local 257 Business Manager Joel Vanderslice said the club serves as a good reminder for current members the sacrifices previous generations made for the benefits they receive today.

"The amount of history that comes together at those meetings is pretty incredible," he said. "The fact those people fought for the rights that we all have and are still coming together in solidarity is amazing. A lot of them have known each other since their apprenticeships and they're out there doing stuff."

The club meets for monthly dinners, which are spread throughout the jurisdiction so each retiree can have an event close to his or her home. One member opened his own restaurant following his retirement and is popular because of the outstanding chicken and country ham he prepares for some events.

And finally, club members serve as volunteer judges for the Missouri chapter of the SkillsUSA competition, held in April at the State Technical College in Linn, Mo. SkillsUSA is a nonprofit recognized by the Labor and Education Departments as a successful model for teaching middle school, high school and college students how to prepare for a career in the trades.

All those activities are meaningful, but Holzhauser says the sense of community remains the most important thing for most members.

"We just have a good time harassing each other and telling old jokes," he said.

Frank Balbo helps run the New York Local 3 Retirees' Club for Westchester and Putnam counties north of the city. He has been retired for two and a half years.

Balbo worked all over New York City in his 42-year career, from the deepest subway tunnel to the top of the World Trade Center, from Lower Manhattan to the outer boroughs and on the bridges between.

"When you're Local 3, you touch every little bit of it," he said.

Now that he is retired, life so far is exactly what he hoped it would be.

"I'm happy every day. I don't have an alarm clock. I exercise three times a week. I read a lot of books. I drove down to Florida for a few weeks to visit friends because when you retire, that's what you do," he said. "I'm enjoying my life and spending my money."

There are rules, though.

"I don't get on the couch until dinner. Got to stay in shape," he said.

The biggest surprise, he said, is that it turns out he likes doing housework.

"I'm Italian. My wife brought up my two kids. She was a stay-at-home mom. She did the cooking and cleaning, and I took it for granted. Now I'm the house husband until she retires. I do laundry. I run errands. I start dinner. I clean up the house. I'm hyper, and I stay busy. I love it."

It is a life he never could have imagined for himself when he started out of high school working nonunion.

"They have nothing. They are lucky to get medical. Those guys work until they're 70. They have no savings. No pension," he said. "Thank God there is a pension, and God bless [former Local 3 business manager and creator of the local's pension plan] Harry Van Arsdale."

Balbo added: "We didn't go the college route. We chose construction because we liked the camaraderie, and we chose electrical work because we're smart. I have a lot of good stories working with the men, and we made a lot of money."

For Edmonton, Alberta, Local 424 retirees Ray MacNeil and Willy Milley, retirement means more time to ride their motorcycles. And thanks to the IBEW's network of motorcycle clubs, there's always a fellow member to ride with.

"I just keep meeting new people," MacNeil said. "I have IBEW family all around North America."

MacNeil, who serves as president for all the IBEW riding clubs in Canada, said that if he's in a town with a charter, he'll look it up.

"Wherever I'm at, I'll ask about a meeting," he said.

On one occasion when he was in Los Angeles, he checked in on Local 11 and was asked to speak at a motorcycle club meeting about fundraising. MacNeil's home club in Alberta does a lot of charity work, including with the Patient Financial Assistance Program at the Cross Cancer Institute and with the Mustard Seed, which helps people experiencing homelessness and poverty.

"That was a big honor," MacNeil said.

For Milley, the riding club is a way to stay in touch with old co-workers.

"When you work, you move from job to job. You might not see someone for 20 years, then you run into them at a ride. It's a nice way to touch base," said Milley, who retired in 2014.

Milley said he's thankful for his health and pension, which have allowed him to travel across Canada and the U.S.

"I'm able to enjoy my pension," Milley said. "The IBEW has given me the chance to do the things I want to do, not just what I have to do."

The IBEW's motorcycle clubs are a rare spot where active and retired members regularly get together for a shared interest. MacNeil says he'll often encourage the members to check in on the Retirees' Clubs.

"I tell them to go to the barbecue and ask what you can do, get a conversation going," he said.

Local 424 has an active Retirees' Club, said Paul Pomerleau, the club's recorder. They meet every week for coffee and doughnuts at the hall, and sometimes younger members will stop by to chat.

"It gives us a chance to compare notes on how the jobs are going and see what's changed over the years," Pomerleau said.

Pomerleau said he attends other senior groups outside the IBEW, but the Local 424 group is special.

"With the other groups, they're not electricians. It's nice to be able to talk about old jobs, what's changed with the code, the union, things like that," he said.

In addition to the weekly coffees and official monthly meetings, Local 424's Retirees' Club has hosted provincial and local politicians at events open to all members. They're also planning to bring someone in from law enforcement to talk about how to avoid telephone and online scams.

They even get out to the Calgary Stampede, a 10-day event that draws people from all over Canada, where they have breakfast on hand and brisket sandwiches for lunch.

"It's nice that our members get to retire with so much life left in them," Business Manager Michael Reinhart said. "They're retired, but they're not tired of hanging out with each other or participating in the local."

MacNeil said that his advice to younger members is to figure out what they want to do before they retire.

"You work all your life, you have people around you, then all of a sudden, there's nothing to do. A person can get lost," he said. "Whatever you want to make out of retirement is up to you, but have some type of plan."

For MacNeil and Milley, that's enjoying their IBEW pensions on the open road.

"I have IBEW brothers and sisters all over the place. For me, it's always there," MacNeil said. "It's in my blood."

Hamilton, Ohio, Local 648 members and retirees did the entire Brotherhood proud nearly 15 years ago, when they coordinated a crew of volunteers and built the Joe Nuxhall Miracle League Field in their jurisdiction.

The experience left them with warm feelings they weren't about to let go of. Today, many of Local 648's Retirees' Club members continue to raise money for the field, primarily through its Cruise-In for Kids Car Show held each June.

They have raised more than $150,000 for the field, which is a state-of-the-art facility that allows people with severe disabilities to play baseball and softball, many for the first time.

Those funds have helped keep the facility in tip-top shape and led to so much more. Local 648 retirees have joined with signatory contractors and other trades to build an adjoining 18-hole miniature golf course that meets the needs of the disabled.

"It gives me hope and faith that there are still a lot of good people out there that want to help others," said Local 648 retiree Steve Crain, one of the car show's organizers.

"The main cog in this is retired union people," he said. "Local 648 retirees are out there always looking to help somebody out."

The field, in Hatton Park in Fairfield, Ohio, is named after Cincinnati Reds legend Joe Nuxhall, who became the youngest player in major league history when he debuted at the age of 15 in 1944.

Nuxhall, a Hamilton native, went on to play 15 of his 17 seasons with the Reds and was a radio broadcaster for the team for more than four decades. He died in 2007, but his son, Kim, and other friends and family continue to raise money for charitable causes through a foundation named after him.

Kenny Rhodus, a Local 648 volunteer who was a leader in getting the field built and now co-chairs the car show with Crain, said Kim Nuxhall sometimes mentions that he and others should get paid for their efforts.

Rhodus laughs and reminds him he doesn't need it, thanks to the good wages he earned during his career and the pension he now receives.

"I worked 49 years in the IBEW, and I loved it," he said. "I'm a very happy camper. We don't want the accolades. We just say the IBEW gang from Local 648 is here to help."

Crain was a natural to coordinate the show. He's a car enthusiast who has participated in numerous shows himself over the years. He helped organize the Gassy Geezers, a car club comprising mostly retired union members that has met monthly for nearly 20 years.

Even at 78, he still enjoys doing the work that allows a vintage car to regain the shine it had when it was just coming off the lot.

"It's been a passion all my life," he said.

But even with his deep roots in the car community, Crain has been stunned at the success of the annual show that benefits the Miracle Field — and not just financially.

It gets regular coverage from Cincinnati-area media. Sponsors, many of them fellow building trades unions and their signatory contractors, always jump into help.

"They're coming to us," Crain said. "We don't solicit it."

Back in 2014, he estimated that the first show would raise $3,000, tops. Instead, it raised $13,000, and the event has grown ever since.

"For a one-day car show, it is out of sight," he said. "Every car club around now wishes it could do something like this. We have one ace in the hole that they don't have, and that's the Nuxhall family name."

Now, IBEW brothers and sisters like Crain and Rhodus could soon be stepping up for the biggest project yet.

Funds are being raised for the Hope Center, an adjoining 31,000 square-foot building that will house a gymnasium, workout areas, medical care facilities and an arcade, all designed with the disabled in mind.

When finished, organizers believe the facilities at Hatton Park will be the world's most inclusive campus for athletes with developmental and physical disabilities. Visit nuxhallmiracleleague.org/hope for information.

Rhodus, who played high school football with Kim Nuxhall, said he has no doubt the money will be raised to build the facility because the Nuxhall family's name remains so strong in and around Cincinnati.

He and other Local 648 retirees will be chomping to get back to work when construction begins. The motivation remains strong.

"When those children come up, no matter what age they are, and they're in a wheelchair or using whatever they can to get out there to play and they stop and give you a hug …" Rhodus said, his voice trailing off.

"I can't tell you what that means."