[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 180 (Wednesday, November 14, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6958-S6959]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       TRIBUTE TO STEVE MAGRUDER

  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, Steve Magruder has devoted his life to 
helping working families. For more than 40 years, Steve faithfully 
served as a member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical 
Workers International Local 176. Last week, Steve retired as the 
business manager of Local 176, a position he held for 8 years.

[[Page S6959]]

  The IBEW is as old as commercial electricity. In 1891, 2 years before 
electricity made Chicago the White City, the IBEW formed to protect the 
rights and safety of those brave workers willing to work on electrical 
and telecommunications. They would be the ones who brought power across 
the country, and today, they have a membership of 750,000 worldwide.
  Steve started out in the storied electrical industry while he was 
still in high school. He worked as a shop assistant for Bradley 
Electric. He eventually became the owner of the residential division of 
Bradley Electric.
  In 1975, he was initiated into the IBEW Local 963 in Kankakee, IL, as 
a residential wireman. The next year, the local IBEW chapters merged to 
form IBEW 176. In 1982, he became a journeyman wireman and moved into 
companies such as Comstock and Company and Meade Electric.
  By 1990, Steve became an agent in the Local 176 business office. He 
founded the IBEW 176 sick, injured, and needy committee, which helps 
members in difficult times. Over the years, hundreds of thousands of 
dollars have been used by the committee to help so many people through 
the tough times.
  Through all of this, Steve stayed involved in politics and helped 
candidates who would help working families of Illinois. In 2010, he 
became business manager of Local 176 and apprenticeship program numbers 
increased. He also expanded political work by chairing the 176 PAC 
committee and a committee on political education. If a business hired 
in Kankakee or Iroquois County hired from outside, Steve was at the 
frontlines fighting for families to keep them from being left behind by 
the local economy.
  Steve is retiring now to spend more time with his wife of 45 years, 
Candy. I wish him the best in his future endeavors.

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