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The Electric Current Blog

Outreach  |  

Participate In The Next Community Service Project on November 17th

On, Saturday, July 28, 2018, the Local Union 26 Minority Coalition (LU26MC) held its 10th Community Service Project (CSP) in partnership with the District of Columbia Housing Authority (DCHA) at the Kenilworth Parkside neighborhood in northeast Washington, DC. 31 participants from apprentices to Journeypersons to retirees who gave of their time on a hot, humid, sunny Saturday morning to come out and restore much needed porch lighting for the residents of Parkside. This is the 10th project in the last five years, a cumulative 1,046 hours of volunteer work.

Innovation, Outreach, Quality, Training  |  
Men shake hands on stage

IBEW Local 26 Celebrates 125 Years

Near the end of 19th century a group of skilled electricians chartered the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 26 in Washington, D.C. Since 1892, thousands of journeyman electricians have been trained by the union and have worked on countless projects around our region—from remodeling the White House in 1902 to rebuilding the Pentagon after the September 11, 2001 attacks.

Outreach  |  
Group of Volunteers

20 Volunteers Perform Electrical Work in D.C.’s Lincoln Heights Housing Development

On Saturday, August 19th approximately twenty volunteers–members of Electricians’ Local 26, who are also members of the Local 26 Minority Coalition and employees of the District of Columbia Housing Authority—gathered in the Lincoln Heights Housing Development, for the seventh joint community services project between Local Union 26 IBEW (LU26IBEW) and the District of Columbia Housing Authority (DCHA).

Outreach  |  
IBEW Local Union 26 Minority Coalition

Partnership with DCHD Reaches 7 Years and 668 Pro Bono Hours

On Saturday, June 17th, 21 members of IBEW Local Union 26 participated in the 7th Community Service Project at the Stoddert Terrace Housing Complex located at 155 Ridge Road, S.E., Washington, D.C.   What started out years ago as a way to give back to the community has grown into a solid partnership with the District of Columbia Housing Department (DCHD). This partnership, spear-headed by the Local 26 Minority Coalition (LU26MC) leadership has yielded over 668 pro bono hours for DCHD. Overall it is a great humanitarian effort that benefits all parties – DC gets donated labor, the residents get updated lighting, light switches and receptacles and Local 26 gives back, improving the community where its members live and work.

Outreach, Training  |  

Electrical Alliance Continues its Support of SkillsUSA

By Mike Miller, JATC Assistant Director

This year, 27 participants competed in the SkillsUSA residential wiring competition in our area. Fifteen competed in Virginia at the Blue Ridge Technical Center and 12 participants competed at Southern Maryland’s North Point High School. Several JATC instructors acted as judges for the competition.

Outreach, Quality  |  
Installing Generator

Arlington Generator Empowers the Homeless

When Arlington County, Virginia, decided to open its first year-round homeless shelter, it bought an office building in the heart of its rapidly growing urban core. Part of an effort to end chronic homelessness, the shelter was intended to provide job training, health, and mental health services as well as a place to live, off the streets, in the warmer months. Yet the building needed repair.

Innovation, Outreach, Training  |  

Maryland and Virginia High Schools Receive Support from Workforce Training Program

Today, the electrical construction industry faces two significant challenges, addressing shortages of skilled crafts labor and assuring that today’s electricians have the in-depth training required to install and maintain increasingly complex electrical systems.

The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 26 (IBEW) and the Washington, DC Chapter of National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) working cooperatively through the Joint Apprenticeship Training Committee (JATC), invest over $8 million every year in the Washington, D.C. area preparing the next generation of skilled electricians, and providing experienced electricians with on-going training in the latest construction techniques and technologies.