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The IBEW is at it again, this time working on the DuPont Residential Tower in our nation’s capital!

This project is special; not only is it putting our hard-working brothers and sisters to work on the job, it is contributing to our retirement fund! This project is a National Electrical Benefit Fund (NEBF) Project!

With this project, our IBEW brothers and sisters are quite literally building a piece of our future.

 

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Transcript – DuPont Residential Towers

Construction cranes are happily dotting landscapes across many parts of North America again, which is good news for the brothers and sisters of the IBEW.

This is certainly true in our nation’s capital as well.

Let’s drop in on Washington D.C.

In this historical part of downtown D.C. are buildings that have been here for generations. But it’s hard to face any direction without seeing a new building going up.

This one, the residences at DuPont, when done, will serve as luxury apartments just north of the DuPont Circle area.

It’s a high profile job being done by the brothers and sisters of Local 26, who are bringing to the job characteristics that are the hallmark of the IBEW.

Brooks McLain, General Foreman Local 26 “A couple things with this job, everything is on a curve this building is on a curve so it was really difficult. This is a design build job, the second one I’ve done and it makes it fun.”

David Rabitor, Local 26 “I like it that it’s in DC I grew up in this area. It’s going to be around for decades. I can drive by later and show it to my kids.”

But this job, as great as it is, has an added incentive for the brotherhood. We are the owners! That’s because it is being built with the National Electrical Benefit Fund, or NEBF, which means when the ribbon is cut and people start moving in the IBEW has yet another valuable asset to it’s retirement income portfolio.

Lonnie Stephenson, International President IBEW “When we support plans like this through our pension plans and investments it not only provides work for our members but it also reinvests back into our pension plans so it really is a win win.”

Not surprisingly, President Stephenson’s satisfaction is reflected by all the brothers and sisters on the job.

Brooks McLain, General Foreman Local 26 “It’s good to know that our pension is helping out with this job and helping out with retirement and we have something good to look forward to.”

Juan Alvarez, Local 26 “It makes it special because our pension money is being invested in this building. Down the road we know we have a future, you know?”

Jonathan McPherson, Local 26 “Being a part of this project means a lot to me seeing as how I was born and raised in the city. Especially being with the IBEW who did everything for me and my life and my family.

Gary Evvess, Local 26 “My money is going towards it so it’s going towards my future to keep me employed, keep me working and I hope it keeps up like that.”

It’s not uncommon for NEBF funded jobs to pop up in cities coast to coast.

Lonnie Stephenson, IBEW International President “We’ve been doing it for a while now, it’s a good moral booster for our members when they know they have job opportunities and they also know that these jobs were created by their own pension plans. Reinvesting back into our members. Absolutely we are going to continue.

It’s hard to beat a game plan that not only puts our members to work but also gives us some valuable real estate we can call our own long after the brothers and sisters have moved on to their next job.

That’s it for this feature story on IBEW Hour Power. If you like this story, why not share it on Facebook, Twitter, or send the link to your friends and family!

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Erica McClaugherty

Erica McClaugherty joined the IBEW Hour Power team in 2015 and has been traveling around the United States and Canada ever since, bringing the stories of hard working IBEW brothers and sisters to life.

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