[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 61 (Monday, April 28, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E594]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   TRIBUTE TO THE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE INTERNATIONAL BROTHERHOOD OF 
                      ELECTRICAL WORKERS LOCAL 58

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. SANDER M. LEVIN

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, April 28, 2014

  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the men and 
women of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 58, 
who celebrated their 100th Anniversary at a gala I was pleased to join 
on Saturday, April 12th. In 1914, IBEW Locals 18 and 271 merged to 
create IBEW Local 58. For the last 100 years, IBEW members helped to 
build the City of Detroit and Southeast Michigan, served our nation at 
home and overseas during wartime, engaged in volunteer activities to 
strengthen our communities, and have stood at the forefront of workers' 
rights on the job.
  The rich history of Local 58 is inextricably bound with the history 
of Southeast Michigan and of the nation. Local 58 was created to ensure 
that its members have safe working conditions, receive fair wages and 
health and welfare benefits, and security when they retire. These vital 
responsibilities helped propel the men and women of Local 58 to the 
forefront of the labor movement in Southeast Michigan, and due to their 
efforts as well as those of many others, working people can achieve and 
thrive in the American middle class.
  While building the middle class, the members of IBEW Local 58, along 
with their brothers and sisters in other building trades unions, 
literally built the City of Detroit and the Southeast Michigan region. 
Iconic Detroit projects such as the Ambassador Bridge, the Fisher 
Building, the Guardian Building, the Detroit Opera House, the Fox 
Theater, and the Masonic Temple were built using the skills of IBEW 
Local 58's members. In 1948, Local 58 wired Briggs Stadium for lights 
so that the Detroit Tigers could play nighttime games. As Detroit and 
the region grew along with the growth of the automotive industry, Local 
58 workers brought electricity to the new homes being built in Wayne, 
Oakland, and Macomb counties.
  Local 58 members have served in the armed forces in every war our 
nation has fought since World War I. Beginning in World War II and in 
every war since then, Local 58 has ensured that those members who 
served in the military during wartime would have their union dues paid 
while they were in service, and that they could return to the union 
with no loss of status or seniority when their service was completed. 
The men and women of Local 58 also served our country at home during 
times of war, most notably during World War II, when Detroit was known 
as the ``Arsenal of Democracy'' and skilled workers were needed to 
retool automobile factories to produce the aircraft, tanks, and 
artillery needed to win the war. More than half of the tanks, 75 
percent of the aircraft engines, and 92 percent the cars and trucks 
used by the military in World War II were built in Detroit factories.
  The men and women of Local 58 have always been involved in efforts to 
strengthen the communities in which they live and work and to support 
causes important to them. From their donations to the American Red 
Cross, Boys Town and the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis in 
the 1940s and 1950s to their work on behalf of Habitat for Humanity and 
to local churches, community centers and schools today, IBEW members 
have been willing to commit their time, talents and money to help 
others.
  Mr. Speaker, I am proud to represent so many members and families of 
IBEW Local 58 in Michigan's 9th Congressional District. For the last 
century, they have demonstrated a steadfast commitment to excellence on 
the job, to the rights of working people, to the well-being of Detroit 
and Southeast Michigan, and to the strength of our country. I hope my 
colleagues will join me in congratulating the men and women of Local 58 
as they celebrate 100 years of excellence, and in wishing them 
continued success in their second century.

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