Convention delegates’ consideration of resolutions continued Wednesday, with the assembly acting on measures calling for opening access to the trades for veterans and backing existing business development initiatives. Delegates also voted to support pro-union White House policies, including support for the Biden Administration’s update to Davis-Bacon rules, and to support additional training for new union officers and election judges.
Resolutions Committee Chair and Tacoma, Wash., Local 483 Business Manager Alice Phillips, and Committee Secretary Daniel Cosner, business manager of Folsom, N.J., Local 351, presided over the reading of resolutions and accompanying committee recommendations.
While the resolutions are non-binding, they do articulate the delegates’ beliefs on important issues, and they influence IBEW policy.
Consideration of convention resolutions will continue to take place on each remaining day of the convention as needed. The following actions were taken on Wednesday after discussions by delegates.
Resolutions Passed
Resolution 19: Calls for every local to identify a member to act as an advocate to help newly organized veterans and conduct community outreach. Urges every local to form a veterans committee. Recommends that each state and province appoint a chairperson to support their district’s international veterans committee member.
Resolution 20: Urges the IBEW, NECA and the Electrical Training Alliance to keep developing and implementing programs designed for veterans’ admission into apprenticeships through the Veterans Electrical Entry Program. Calls for the ETA to work with locals and the military to provide appropriate training and procedures. Recommends that the IBEW Convention goes on record for the continued full support of VEEP.
Resolution 21: Urges the IBEW to work with NECA and the ETA to develop and coordinate relationships with Helmets to Hardhats. Asks delegates to the convention to go on record in full support of H2H and make efforts to increase awareness and participation within the IBEW.
Resolution 24: Urges the convention to go on record encouraging all locals to affiliate with and participate in the IBEW Safety Caucus.
Resolution 25: Calls on the convention to go on record affirming that each local shall use the web-based accident reporting system to report all serious lost-time accidents and fatalities to the International Office as outlined in the IBEW Constitution.
Resolution 26: Recommends that that the convention go on record in support of continuing to work with the National Safety Council in its effort to improve workplace safety for our members and encourages locals to join the National Safety Council to use the resources available to members.
Resolution 27: Recommends that all construction locals continue to fully participate in local business development practices. Calls for these locals to encourage members to participate in these efforts and urges them to market their training facilities to existing and potential customers and contractors. Encourages these locals to work closely with contractors to help create sustainable employment in all IBEW branches.
Resolution 28: Calls for all construction locals to continue full participation in the Sustainable Project Information Resource Inventory and Training (SPIRIT) program. Asks all these locals to participate in SPIRIT training and to actively pursue business opportunities. Encourages these locals to work closely with the IBEW’s project information resource vendors to create sustainable work across the union.
Resolution 29: Urges locals to coordinate with their Joint Apprenticeship Training Committees to actively market their superior electrical training curricula, programs and facilities to customers, elected officials and educators to foster better understanding of the availability, importance and necessity of a community-based, world-class electrical training program and facility.
Resolution 30: Calls on the convention to go on record for the continued support and promotion of our industry’s National Training Institute and to encourage full participation in NTI.
Resolution 38: Calls on convention delegates to strongly support the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s commitment to developing a state-of-the-art national electric vehicle charging network in the U.S. as well as Canada’s investment in electric vehicle charging and EVITP training. Encourages all construction locals in both countries to explore opportunities to implement EVITP to ensure that the IBEW can provide skilled workers to perform this work. Urges construction local unions in Canada and the U.S. to encourage signatory contractors to bid for electric vehicle infrastructure projects to ensure that we perform this critical work.
The committee noted that the IBEW and its signatory contractors have an unprecedented opportunity to lead the buildout of electric vehicle charging infrastructure across the U.S. and Canada. The focus of the original resolution was on electric vehicle charging in the U.S., so the committee recommended a substitute resolution that recognizes electric vehicle infrastructure is providing work opportunities in Canada as well.
Resolution 39: Urges convention delegates to recommit support for and defense of the Davis-Bacon Act. Calls on locals to participate in Davis-Bacon prevailing wage surveys in cooperation with the Department of Labor and supports the department’s proposed updates to outdated Davis-Bacon regulations.
Resolution 40: Urges convention delegates to strongly support the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s commitment to expanding broadband internet infrastructure to create equal access to broadband for communities across the U.S. Encourages utility, telecommunications, and construction locals to work with employers and contractors to ensure that IBEW members build and maintain the expanded broadband network.
Resolution 41: Calls for all locals to commit to requiring all newly elected officers to participate in New Officers Training.
Resolution 42: Recommends that all locals commit to requiring all election judges to participate in election judge training.