IBEW and NECA Joint Letter on Importance of COVID-19 Vaccinations

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IBEW and NECA Joint Letter on Importance of COVID-19 Vaccinations

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact communities all across America. As of today, more than 633,000 Americans have died since the start of the pandemic, with 38.4 million cases overall. This is a staggering loss, greater than the U.S. death totals in World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam, the Gulf War, Afghanistan and Iraq combined. We are in a war—one of the deadliest wars we have ever seen as an American people.

These numbers are not mere statistics; they represent families and loved ones across our country being torn apart by this deadly disease. We are talking about mothers, daughters, sisters, fathers, brothers, sons, and grandparents. There is a tool we can use to fight this ongoing pandemic, and win this war: The COVID-19 vaccines.

With the FDA approving the Pfizer-Biotech vaccine, we implore each and every person in the electrical construction industry to become vaccinated against COVID-19. This is about keeping our communities safe. Not only is it our best tool to fight against this pandemic, but because it is the best way to ensure families stay healthy and together: including your family.

Based on statistics from across the country, fully vaccinated people make up as little as 0.1 percent of COVID-19 hospitalizations and as little as 0.2 percent of deaths. Currently, more than 170 million Americans—only 52.3 percent of the population—are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, with 62 percent reporting at least one dose.

We can do better.

There was recently a story of a father in Las Vegas who died from the coronavirus. Shortly before he passed, he sent his fiancée a message: “I should have gotten the damn vaccine.” Unfortunately, there have been too many of these stories in recent weeks.

So please, let’s all work together, not as an industry but as a community. Think of your own family, your friends, your coworkers and their families—and urge them to receive this vaccination as well. This impacts absolutely everyone, and these vaccines are readily available to you.

Please, if you haven’t, go and take the shot. Let’s work together and do all we can to end this pandemic and win this war.

Lonnie R. Stephenson
International President, IBEW

Kenneth Cooper
International Secretary-Treasurer, IBEW

David Long
Chief Executive Officer, NECA

Larry Beltramo
President, NECA

National Lineworker Appreciation Day July 10

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July 8, 2021

Dear EEI Member Company and IBEW Local Union Business Managers:

Our nation’s lineworkers put their lives on the line every day to ensure the delivery of safe and reliable power to keep our economy running and to power our homes, schools, businesses, and hospitals. The work of lineworkers is inherently dangerous, and a culture of safety is ingrained in our industry thanks to decades of work by EEI member electric companies and the IBEW.

When storms or other natural disasters strike, our lineworkers always answer the call to restore power safely and quickly, often traveling long distances and working in hazardous conditions. We have seen their customer commitment firsthand over the past year, as we faced devastating wildfires, hurricanes, tornadoes, and ice storms.

Lineworkers also continued to perform their mission while facing the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. We are very proud of the COVID-19 protocols that were developed at the onset of the pandemic. These protocols enabled lineworkers to respond and to work safely, while also keeping their fellow lineworkers and customers safe.

On July 10, 2021, we will celebrate National Lineworker Appreciation Day. We recognize this day on July 10, as it marks the anniversary of the death of Henry Miller, the first President of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW). Henry Miller was killed in the line of duty, as the head lineman for Potomac Light and Power Company, while trying to restore electricity in the Cleveland Park area of Washington, D.C. This year marks the 125th anniversary of Henry’s passing.

Joining us in support for our nation’s lineworkers are elected lawmakers in Congress. Representatives Linda Sánchez (D-CA), Donald Norcross (D-NJ), and David McKinley (R-WV) will be introducing resolutions in the House, and Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV) and John Barrasso (R-WY) will do the same in the Senate. These resolutions recognize July 10, 2021, as Journeyman Lineworkers Recognition Day.

We hope that you will join us in saluting our lineworkers on July 10, and we ask that you take a moment and communicate with your employees and members your appreciation for the work lineworkers do every day for the communities and customers they so proudly serve.


Lonnie Stephenson, International President International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers

Tom Kuhn, President Edison Electric Institute

David Long, Chief Executive Officer, National Electrical Contractors Association