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IBEW Local 134

Carole Pollitz on Breaking Barriers and Training Future Female Leaders

Breaking barriers wasn’t always in Carole Pollitz’s DNA. Before she became one of very few female apprentices at IBEW Local 134, she tried a more traditional path, planned out by her father. “My dad wanted me to go to college, but it just wasn’t for me. I floundered around and didn’t know what I wanted […]

IBEW Local 134 Helping Hand Fund Featured on ABC 7 Chicago

The “Brotherhood” in International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) reminds all members, brothers and sisters alike, that if they are a member, they are family. And when times are hard or when tragedy strikes, family is there to help and support you through the tough times. Nothing exemplifies this sense of family helping family in […]

An Abridged History of Black Membership in IBEW Local 134

In his thesis while attending the National Labor College, now retired IBEW Local 134 Vice President Russell Ponder wrote about Michael Boyle, one of Local 134’s legendary members. In doing research to write the paper, Ponder documented several watershed decisions in the union that opened doors for Black members in the 100+ years since the […]

Two Hundred Apprentices Graduate from IBEW-NECA Training Facility

Congratulations to the Class of 2019! The Apprenticeship Graduation and Dinner Dance was held Saturday at the IBEW 134 / NECA Technical Institute in Alsip. Over 200 apprentices completed the five-year program and graduated to journey men and women. Congratulations on their outstanding achievements!

Scabby The Rat And Friends Turn Downtown Union Protest Into A Tourist Destination

For the past several weeks, big rats and other creatures have been spotted on the sidewalk at 15 W. Washington St. But instead of inspiring fear and disgust, they’ve become their own attraction, bringing smiles and thumbs ups. Just blocks from one of Chicago’s most popular tourist attractions, Millennium Park, union workers from IBEW Local […]

The State of Labor Unions

Since 2008, unionization has declined in Illinois, in the Chicago region, and in the United States. There are approximately 111,000 fewer union members in Illinois today than there were in 2008, contributing to the 1.3 million-member drop in union workers across the nation over that time. Declining union membership in Illinois has primarily been the […]