The birth an industry that safely powers all the necessities in life will be center stage as the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers brings its annual international convention to St. Louis where the professional electrical industry was launched 125 years ago. With a theme of “Our Founding, Our Future,” more than 3,000 delegates are saluting the 125th anniversary of IBEW and IBEW Local 1’s legacy as the first electrical union in the nation. The convention begins on Sept. 18, 2016 and concludes on Sept. 23, 2016 and is being held at America’s Center in downtown St. Louis.

In their opening greetings to the delegates, Lonnie R. Stephenson, international president, and Salvatore (Sam) J. Chilia, international secretary-treasurer paid tribute to St. Louis, “Because it is here, 125 years ago, 10 linemen gathered in a small boarding to form the first ever union of electrical workers. Today, the IBEW represents 725,000 active members and retirees across the United States and Canada, but the Gateway City remains in so many ways our spiritual home.”

Many contractors with the St. Louis Chapter of the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) have been teaming with IBEW almost since its inception. That includes Briner Electric, the oldest electrical contractor in St. Louis founded in 1895, Guarantee Electric (114 years old) Sachs Electric (91 years old), Kaemmerlen Electric (90 years old) and others. NECA itself is celebrating its 115th anniversary this year.

The IBEW/NECA Electrical Connection partnership celebrated IBEW’s 125th anniversary and the convention with a large two-page salute from more than 150 IBEW-NECA electrical contractors in a special issue of the St. Louis Labor Tribune. In addition, the St. Louis Chapter NECA and several NECA contractors sponsored the issue. The issue included a spotlight on the unique outreach to support the St. Louis community and Missouri business development that IBEW/NECA funds through its Electrical Connection partnership.

Meanwhile, the Saint Louis Science Center saluted IBEW’s 125th and spotlighted its partnership with the IBEW/NECA Electrical Connection by projecting the logo of IBEW up on the iconic James S. McDonnell Planetarium. The Electrical Connection sponsored the lighting of the Planetarium in 2014.