Ray Ryerse, business manager for IBEW Local 86, has been elected president of the Rochester Building Trades Council, succeeding Grant Malone who served for five years. Ryerse, a longtime advocate for registered apprenticeship programs and jobsite safety, will lead the council representing affiliated construction trade unions across the Greater Rochester and Finger Lakes region.
The entire IBEW Construction Division endorsed Essex County Commissioner Brendan Gill for Congress in New Jersey's 11th District. President Joe Egan praised Gill's decades-long record supporting organized labor and fighting for fair wages, safe working conditions, and the dignity of labor for construction workers across New Jersey.
IBEW leaders and members attending the Government Affairs Conference conducted 176 meetings with lawmakers on Capitol Hill, advocating for the PRO Act, apprenticeship standards, and revival of canceled infrastructure projects.
New research shows climate change has already reduced US incomes by 12% since 2000, far higher than previous estimates, as persistent temperature shifts affect supply chains and regional economies nationwide.