This resolution recognizes unions including IBEW for their work
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) introduced a resolution to designate July 10th as Journeyman Lineworkers Recognition Day. This resolution honors the men and women who dedicate their lives to ensure communities have access to safe, affordable and reliable electricity – including members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), Edison Electric Institute (EEI), and National Electric Contractors Association (NECA).
“Journeyman Lineworkers, including so many in Nevada, work tirelessly to keep the country’s electric grid running and support cutting-edge projects across the nation,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “I’m proud to celebrate the thousands of men and women who put their lives on the line to power our communities and our economy. I’ll continue to work in the Senate to support the lifechanging opportunities our unions, and their apprenticeships, provide to Nevadans.”
“Our economy depends on the reliable flow of electricity, and our lineworkers are an essential component of keeping the lights on,” said Senator Cramer. “In North Dakota, rural lineworkers like my father brave the elements and storms to keep the power running in our communities. We celebrate these unsung heroes on Lineworker Appreciation Day.”
“Our nation’s lineworkers risk their lives day in and day out to bring Americans the power that runs our homes, businesses, schools and hospitals. Every member of the U.S. Senate should join Senator Catherine Cortez Masto and the co-sponsors of this bill to celebrate these hard-working men and women and all they contribute to our country by designating July 10 as Journeyman Lineworker Recognition Day,” said IBEW International President Kenneth Cooper.
“EEI and our member electric companies applaud Senators Cortez Masto and Cramer for their leadership in honoring America’s lineworkers,” said EEI President and CEO Dan Brouillette. “Every day, our nation’s lineworkers face challenges head on to ensure the customers and the communities they serve have access to safe and reliable electricity. They dedicate their lives to keeping the power on, and we are grateful for their unwavering commitment.”
“National Lineworker Appreciation Day is an important opportunity to acknowledge the indispensable work of our nation’s lineworkers. These courageous individuals labor diligently, frequently under hazardous conditions, to construct, maintain, and repair our transmission and distribution networks across the country. Their unwavering dedication and skill are vital to our everyday lives and the future of our nation. We are honored to celebrate their commitment and recognize their pivotal role in keeping America running smoothly,” said NECA CEO David Long.
This resolution designates National Journeyman Lineworkers Day on July 10 to honor the life and work of Henry Miller, the first elected president of the IBEW. Miller traveled across the country to organize fellow linemen and played a key role in founding the IBEW in 1891. Sadly, his life was cut short on July 10, 1896, while working to solve a power outage in Washington, D.C. Today, the IBEW represents one of the largest and most diverse unions in the country. Congresswoman Linda T. Sánchez (D-Calif.), Congressman Donald Norcross (D-N.J.), and Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) introduced this resolution in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Through her Innovation State Initiative, Senator Cortez Masto has been working to boost Nevada’s economy and create good-paying, union jobs. In helping pass the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the CHIPS and Science Act, she’s worked to bring more good-paying union jobs to Nevada. She wrote the battery manufacturing and recycling program that is funding projects in Nevada, and supported numerous provisions to improve technology supply chains that will help build out Nevada’s electric vehicle infrastructure, continue to support solar and geothermal energy projects, and invest in Nevada’s infrastructure and workforce development programs.
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