Related Articles

World War II

Travel was curtailed during World War II, and our Conventions were postponed again. However, the years between 1941 and 1946, when we again met in convention, were active ones for our Brotherhood. The demand for electrical work and electrical workers dominated all phases of the war effort, and our Brotherhood measured up to the expectations of our countries. We established a system to staff defense jobs within 72 hours of receiving the government's request. Local union officers and members accelerated the training programs for new members. More than 35,000 IBEW members served in the armed forces. Incidentally, those not in the military paid the dues of our members on active duty, including their pension and death benefits, through a military assessment.

When special projects required skilled electrical workers, our Brotherhood staffed the jobs adequately and performed admirably every time. We look back with pride, knowing that IBEW members performed 95 percent of all the electrical work needed for the prosecution of the war effort under union-shop conditions.

By late 1943 it was evident that 37 cents per ``A" member per month was insufficient to pay for a $40 monthly pension. A special assessment of 70 cents was levied and allocated to the Pension Fund for the first six months of 1944, and in July 1944 this assessment was reduced to 20 cents.

One significant IBEW development evolving from the war years was the Brotherhood's emphasis on training for the rapidly developing field of electronics. In November 1944 the IBEW, in conjunction with the Engineering College of Marquette University in Milwaukee, established a National Electronics School. From then until June 1945, hundreds of IBEW members received intensive training in electronics. They returned to their local unions as instructors for other members, and in a few months thousands of members were prepared to meet the challenges of the new electronics age.

The demands of war brought the IBEW rewards for its outstanding defense efforts. When our Convention Call for 1946 invited delegates to the Golden Gate City, San Francisco, our membership had passed 360,000.

The San Francisco Convention is remembered as being somewhat stormy, with heated election campaigns. D. W. Tracy, who served the Brotherhood as International President from 1933 to 1940, defeated the incumbent, Ed J. Brown, for the top IBEW position. Numerous changes also occurred in vice presidential and IEC posts.

The 22nd Convention authorized the 20-cent assessment as a permanent part of the dues apportioned to the Pension Benefit Fund. In addition, 3 cents of the amount apportioned to the General Fund was earmarked for the Pension Fund, for a total of 60 cents monthly.

The delegates at that Convention effected another important change in the Pension Plan. The benefit was increased from $40 to $50 a month, effective January 1, 1947.

The International Officers were aware of the inadequate pension benefit provided by such a low funding level. They knew it would be necessary to involve the employers in providing the essential retirement security for our construction members.

On October 1, 1946, NECA and the IBEW signed an agreement establishing the National Electrical Benefit Fund (NEBF). The contractors agreed to put 1 percent of their payroll into this special fund. The NECA and IBEW conventions ratified the agreement; the U.S. Treasury Department granted approval in March 1947; and the fund became effective on May 5, 1947.

Our 1946 Convention also created another type of membership, known as ``BA." The IBEW thus offered three types of membership: ``A," ``B" and ``BA." The ``BA" member would enjoy rights equal to the ``A" paying the same per capita to support the IBEW's operations, with equal voting rights. The ``B" member continued to pay 50 cents with limited voting rights. The difference between ``A" and ``BA" members rested then, as it does now, solely on the death and pension benefits for which ``A" members pay additional dues as provided under the Constitution.

A few months following our San Francisco Convention, Brother Bugniazet, who served for 22 years as International Secretary, tendered his resignation. President Tracy, with the approval of the IEC, appointed J. Scott Milne, Ninth District Vice President, to fill the vacancy.

By action of the 1946 Convention, two new vice presidential districts were created, the 11th and 12th. Annual progress meetings for all vice presidential districts were instituted in 1947.