HR0468 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0468 LRB097 12431 GRL 56913 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are pleased to congratulate the members of International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 702 on the occasion of the organization's 100th anniversary in 2011; and

WHEREAS, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local Union 702's rich history began in 1911, when a few men working in the electrical trade in and near Herrin realized that the time had come when those working in the electrical field in all of its branches should be respected and classed as a skilled craft of its own; on their own initiative, these men petitioned the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers for a charter and, at the Colombo Hall in Herrin, IBEW Local Union 702 was organized; the local's first officers were President James Hanks, Vice-President Lawrence Hundley, Financial Secretary T. D. Springs, Recording Secretary Ransom Little, and Treasurer George Bullard; and

WHEREAS, Local Union 702 has always been a progressive and organizing local union; the first recorded contract between Local Union 702 and a utility was dated January 31, 1917, between Local Union 702 and the Central Illinois Public Service Company; and

WHEREAS, Beginning in 1919, the local began to expand; great effort was made in the organization field, starting with the absorption of Local Union 638 in Centralia; from this consolidation, Local Union 702 gained additional territory and numerous new members; Local Union 702 subsequently organized the Illinois-Iowa Power Company (now Illinois Power Company); and

WHEREAS, By 1944, Local Union 702's membership had reached approximately 2,600; after negotiations, a group of the membership split from Local Union 702 formed their own local to the north, Local Union 51; Local Union 702 subsequently started an organization program in the utility field; over the next several years, Local Union 702 obligated 365 members from the eastern division of the Central Illinois Public Service Company, 282 members of the Southern Indiana Gas and Electric Company in Evansville, Indiana, and 112 members of the Missouri Utility Company in Cape Girardeau, Missouri; in 1947, the membership of Local Union 1333 at Cape Girardeau, Missouri were transferred to Local Union 702; and

WHEREAS, By 1952, Local Union 702 had contracts with numerous organizations, including the Tri-County Electric Cooperative, Inc., the Scott New-Madrid Mississippi Electric Cooperative, the Egyptian Electric Cooperative Association, Paulding Sign Company, Hanna Sign Company, the Neon Sign Company of Herrin, Inc., the Southern Indiana Gas and Electric Company, the Oil Field Electric Company, the Illinois Power Company, the Central Illinois Public Service Company, the City of Flora, the Missouri Utilities Company, the Board of Public Utility Commissioners of the City of Cairo, T. and D. Electric, the Illinois Commercial Telephone Company, the National Electric Contractors Association, L.E. Myers Construction Company, Southeastern Illinois Electric Cooperative, Inc., and the Illinois Cities Water Company; and

WHEREAS, Today, IBEW Local 702 continues the same standards of excellence its founding members committed to a century ago; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate the members of International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 702 on the occasion of the organization's 100th anniversary and wish them continued success and happiness in the future; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to IBEW Local 702 as a symbol of our esteem and respect.