The Edison Electric Institute (EEI), the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA), and the Utility Workers Union of America (UWUA) joined together on July 10 to observe National Lineworker Appreciation Day.
Celebrated annually, National Lineworker Appreciation Day honors the life and work of Henry Miller, the first IBEW president, and the nation’s nearly 75,000 electrical lineworkers, who often work around the clock and in dangerous conditions to ensure that the customers and communities they serve have access to safe and reliable electricity. Lineworkers also maintain and enhance the energy grid and play a critical role in delivering America’s clean energy future.
More than 130 members of Congress co-sponsored a resolution in the U.S. House of Representatives to thank America’s lineworkers on July 9.
“We couldn’t have pulled through the COVID-19 crisis without the hard work and dedication of America’s lineworkers,” said IBEW International President Lonnie Stephenson. “It’s one of the toughest jobs out there, but our communities, our schools, our hospitals, and our businesses wouldn’t run without the daily commitment of my members and lineworkers everywhere to keeping the power running. Today is a day when we all should stop and say: ‘thank you for all you do.’”
“We salute the hard work and dedication of our lineworker members, today and every day,” said UWUA President James Slevin. “Over the past year, these men and women overcame a public health crisis that impacted their own families and communities and severe weather including hurricanes and a deep freeze to ensure we could power our homes and businesses. We appreciate everything they do for us.”
“For decades, our nation’s lineworkers have been resilient, working every day no matter the conditions, to ensure our communities and critical facilities remained connected and empowered,” said NECA CEO David Long. “This year, on National Lineworker Appreciation Day, we should all take a moment to acknowledge and thank the diligent lineworkers in this country for their hard work and willingness to face any challenge.”
“EEI and our member electric companies salute our industry’s lineworkers who work tirelessly to power our lives each day,” said EEI President Tom Kuhn. “Not only did they continue to work throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, our lineworkers responded each and every time they were called upon for mutual assistance, often leaving their families to help our customers and our communities recover from last year’s historic hurricane and wildfire seasons. Lineworkers truly are our nation’s unsung heroes, and we applaud them for their continued dedication.”
In addition to damaging hurricanes and wildfires, lineworkers also responded to devastating ice storms, a derecho, and numerous winter storms last year, all while adhering to carefully designed COVID-19 safety protocols. At the onset of the pandemic, stakeholders from across the electric power industry came together with their partners in organized labor to develop extensive COVID-19 protocols to keep lineworkers safe while in the field. Lineworkers continue to follow these guidelines today, and customers should continue to maintain a safe distance from crews and their work zones.
Together, EEI, IBEW, NECA, and UWUA remind you to #ThankALineworker and help keep them safe so that they can be there for us all.
