LiveWire - August 2024

Industry Events

2024 Summer Solar Graduation Ceremony

The Illinois IBEW Renewable Energy Fund (REF) held its 2024 Summer Solar Graduation Ceremony at the Local Union #134 IBEW Union Hall in Chicago on Friday, July 30, 2024. This summer’s program had 70+ graduates who will continue on with additional training as they will all participate in the Trainee program at the IBEW-NECA Technical Institute (INTECH) in Alsip, beginning Monday, July 29, 2024. It is anticipated that many will continue into the apprenticeship program.

The NECA 2024 Labor Relations Conference was held on July 17 – 19, 2024, at the Intercontinental Hotel in Boston, MA. The program offered attendees an ambitious schedule of panels, breakout discussions, and best practices.

The Power of Better EP 11: Illinois' Sustainability Leader Pioneering Municipal Green Innovation

Join us in this episode as we see first-hand the future of sustainability in Illinois. This episode features insights from the following industry professionals:

Jerry Kosteck — Vice President, Hy-Power Electric Co.

Matt Stolspart — Business Representative, IBEW Local 134

Edith Makra —Director of Environmental Initiatives, Metropolitan Mayors Caucus

Brad Maggi — Operations Managers, Village of Skokie

Bob Hattier — Executive Director of Renewable Energy, IBEW Local 134

Watch Now

2024 Annual Spring Conference Recap

The ECA held its 52nd Annual Spring Conference from Wednesday, June 12, 2024, to Thursday, June 13, 2024, at The American Club in Kohler, Wisconsin. It was a well-attended conference with 86 registrants!

Upcoming Events

Program highlights include:

Summer Wine Tasting
Food, Beverages, & Networking
Taste of Chicago: Rainbow Cone & Garrett's Popcorn
Yard Games
Tremendous Views of the City Skyline

All ECA Members, their spouses, and guests are welcome to attend this end-of-summer event!

*Complimentary valet will be available.

**Recommended dress attire is business casual / summer attire.

Don't miss the next EGC Outing on August 8, 2024 (10 am) at Bloomingdale Golf Club!

Registrations and sponsorships are due August 2 and are expected to sell out!

The Electric Golf Club revolves around the great camaraderie of the members, customers, and friends invited. This is a great time to join or confirm your membership and continue the tradition.

Register for the August 8 EGC Outing at Bloomingdale Golf Club . This outing will have a 10:00 am shotgun start followed by dinner and raffle prizes.

SPONSORSHIPS AVAILABLE!

· Prize Sponsors (Limit 5) include recognition at the event and on signage and social media posts. $250

· Hole Sponsors (Limit 18) include recognition at the event and on signage and social media posts. Hole sponsors may set up on the hole to promote your company. $500

25th Special Olympics Construction Team Picnic

September 14, 2024 (10 am - 1 pm)

IBEW - NECA Technical Institute

6201 W. 115th Street, Alsip, IL 60803

We are looking for Volunteers and Donations. The Special Olympic Athletes need financial support again this year. In 2023, we raised over $20,500.00 to assist in their participation in the games, and we hope to exceed that amount this year!

How to Help:

Monetary Donations - assist the athletes to be able to participate in the games throughout the year
Donations for the goody bags we distribute to all of the athletes that attend - include items such as T-shirts, Sunglasses, Water Bottles, Mugs, Hats, Paper, Pens, Pencils, etc. If your Company provides any type of donation, your Company logo will be printed on the back of the t-shirts that are distributed to everyone.
Your Time - We need volunteers from 10 am - 1 pm. Anyone who is able to arrive earlier than 10 am and/or stay later than 1 pm is welcome to help with set and take down. Volunteers are needed for set up, assisting with playing the game s and lunch and clean up.

Any Monetary donations (Corporate or Personal) should be sent directly to:

NOTE: This is a new Address

Patty Welsh

Special Olympics Illinois - Region E

18440 Thompson Ct., Suite 205

Tinley Park, IL 60477

Please contact Maureen Mikulski at 224-754-9179 or via email at maureen@mcwelec.com if you are making a company donation so we can make sure your logo is included on the t-shirts. The deadline for t-shirt logos is September 1st.

Education

Advanced Estimating of Electrical Construction

Monday and Tuesday, September 16 - 17, 2024

8:00 am - 4:00 pm (Both days)

Hyatt Lodge Conference Center - Oak Brook, IL

THE FEE FOR THIS PROGRAM IS $200.00 PER ECA MEMBER.

Building upon the principles taught in NECA's Basic Estimating course, this course focuses on the strategy and business decisions made during the estimating and bidding processes. The course will assist estimators and managers think strategically in how they find, evaluate, and bid electrical construction projects.

Prerequisite: Basic Estimating of Electrical Construction or similar industry experience.

If you're interested in attending the "Advanced Estimating of Electrical Construction" seminar, please click on the link below to register or go on-line at the ECA website at: www.ecachicago.com (Event Calendar portion).

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO REGISTER!

(Please register soon, as we need to reach the minimum number required to hold the session.)

Please contact the ECA with any questions at (708) 531-0022. We look forward to your participation with the program! Thank you for your continued support of Association activities.

Culture of Collaboration Workshop

Transforming Our Industry Together: Introducing the DEI Program for ECA of Chicago

We're embarking on an exciting journey to shape our future with diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) at its core. We've partnered with Leadership Surge to bring a specially designed DEI program to the Electrical Contractors' Association (ECA) of Chicago, and you’re invited to be a part of this transformative experience.

Please use the scheduling form below to secure a date and register your companies for the live 2-hr DEI Training session:

Scheduling Form

The goal is to have each company choose their preferred training and capture their contact information and preferred training location.

Here’s what's in store for us:

Tailored Training Sessions: From senior leadership to our valued front-line employees, there’s something for everyone. Get ready to dive into interactive sessions that will empower us to lead and participate in a more inclusive workplace.

Engaging Learning Formats: Whether it's live workshops or on-the-go learning through a mobile app, this program offers flexible ways to engage with DEI principles. Plus, Toolbox Talks will bring DEI conversations right into our daily routines.

A United Effort: This isn't just training; it's a movement towards building a workplace where every voice is heard and every contribution valued. We're not just aiming for compliance; we're striving for commitment and change.

Program Intro