Today, the Edison Electric Institute (EEI), the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), the Utility Workers Union of America (UWUA), and the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) will salute the nation’s nearly 75,000 electrical lineworkers by observing National Lineworker Appreciation Day.
America’s lineworkers maintain and enhance the energy grid and work day and night in all conditions to ensure that customers have reliable and safe access to the energy they need to power their lives. National Lineworker Appreciation Day is celebrated each year on July 10, and it honors the life and work of Henry Miller, the first president of IBEW.
“Our hardworking line workers put their lives on the line every day to ensure our nation has the power it needs to keep moving forward,” says IBEW International President Lonnie R. Stephenson. “It’s never easy, but they know that the job needs to be done. Today is the day to say thanks for all they do for us and our communities.”
As an electrician who worked in the field for years, I know first-hand the dangers facing lineworkers, says U.S. Representative Donald Norcross (D-NJ), an IBEW electrician and a member of the House Committee on Education and Labor.
“These hard-working men and women keep our country running every day," Norcross says. "Plus, they are quick to respond when called upon to get the power back on following hurricanes and other natural disasters. Lineworkers are unsung heroes and I’m proud to support all efforts to acknowledge their hard work.”
The men and women who perform the dangerous and critical work of protecting and maintaining the electric grid are so important to the communities they serve, protecting public safety and ensuring we can power our homes and businesses, says UWUA President D. Michael Langford.
“We’re proud to have some of our members in Washington, D.C., today to offer a glimpse into the work they do, and we thank them for their unwavering commitment to maintaining this vital infrastructure," Langford says.
Lineworkers work every day to build the infrastructure that powers our homes, schools, hospitals, and other critical facilities, says NECA CEO David Long.
“They are extraordinarily hardworking and committed to doing their jobs in extremely tough conditions, and they always stand ready to step forward in times of need," Long says. "I am grateful for everything these men and women do for our communities and our nation.”
“The nation’s lineworkers are the face of America’s electric companies, and they truly are deserving of our appreciation today, and every day,” said EEI President Tom Kuhn. “Lineworkers are among the first responders in the wake of storms and other disasters, and we are grateful to these dedicated men and women, and the families who support them, for the work they do to power our lives.”
America’s lineworkers are on the front lines of the clean energy transition underway throughout the country. They are adopting and integrating new technology into their daily routines designed to make their work more efficient and the energy grid stronger, more reliable, and more secure.
These highly trained workers also stand ready to respond whenever and wherever their services are needed, leaving their families for days and weeks at a time to help their own communities, and those far away, recover from storms and other disruptive events. During the past year, tens of thousands of lineworkers and support personnel from across the country and Canada joined forces to rebuild infrastructure and restore power following natural disasters ranging from devastating wildfires in the West, to Hurricanes Florence and Michael on the Gulf and East Coasts, to debilitating blizzards and ice storms throughout the country, and even a volcanic eruption in Hawaii.
Together, EEI, IBEW, NECA, and UWUA want to make sure the public remembers to #ThankALineworker today.
