A Call 4 Change

The numbers don’t lie: employees who join with their co-workers to form a union enjoy higher wages. This is because we have the option to bargain collectively with the company, rather than try to just ask for a raise on our own. On average, union employees make 27 percent more money than their nonunion counterparts. That’s an average yearly difference of more than $10,000 for you and your family. Also, with your IBEW contract, you can get a cost-of-living clause that helps ensure your wages will rise to keep pace with increasing prices.

Of unionized workers covered by retirement plans offered by their employer, nearly a quarter of them also enjoy plans covering medical, dental and vision. Paid vacation time, holidays, personal days, paid sick time, overtime pay, shift differentials and more are also generally better in workplaces where employees have unionized.

About 85 percent of union workers are covered by retirement plans that help provide a stable monthly income – compared with only about 45 percent of nonunion workers. Seventy percent of union workers have defined-benefit retirement coverage, compared with 16 percent of nonunion workers. Defined-benefit plans are federally insured and provide a guaranteed monthly pension amount. They are better for workers than riskier, defined-contribution plans like 401(k)s, where your benefit amount depends on your own contributions and how well stock market investments perform.

IBEW members sit down with their managers and mutually agree on workplace practices that work for everyone. In collective bargaining, a group of employees works to define their terms and conditions of employment in a legal, binding agreement with the employer. Depending upon what the employees want and can negotiate with the employer, a contract can contain provisions like hours of work, wage and salary definitions, safety and work rules, definition of benefits and orderly procedures for resolving on-the-job conflicts.

While 50 percent of union workers have been with their current employers for at least 10 years, only 32 percent of nonunion workers can make the same claim. Union workers have greater job stability – partly because they are more satisfied with their work, receive better pay, have better benefits and have access to fair grievance procedures. Nonunion workers are, under federal law, “employees at will” who can be fired at any time for almost any reason. As an IBEW member, a boss or supervisor can’t fire you on a whim, discipline you arbitrarily or discharge you without just cause. Your contract guarantees that you have the right to representation when dealing with management.

Community service has been a hallmark of our organization throughout its history. Our members' commitment to a job well done doesn't end with their work shift. From wiring Habitat for Humanity homes to helping residents and businesses around the world rebuild after natural disasters, IBEW members take pride in volunteering their skills in their communities and beyond to help working families. Click here: IBEW Teams Up to Help Protect Your Child

The IBEW has over 750,000 active and retired members throughout the utility, telecommunication, railroad, manufacturing, government, construction and broadcasting industries. Our members stand ready to support the ever-increasing demand for power and are at the forefront of advancements in the new power industries.