For Immediate Release: November 07, 2020
Contact: Mark Brueggenjohann 202-728-6014
IBEW President Lonnie Stephenson in response to the election of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris
IBEW International President Lonnie R. Stephenson issued the following statement in response to the election of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris:
On behalf of the 775,000 active and retired members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, I congratulate Joe Biden and Kamala Harris on their victory.
This is not just a victory for the Biden/Harris ticket, but a win for all working people. The last four years have been some of the most challenging in recent American history. Incomes for working families remain stagnant while Wall Street continues to set record profits. The coronavirus pandemic has hit working-class Americans the hardest, but the current administration focused on bailing out the top one percent and slashing protections for working people instead of taking action to help America’s struggling middle class. Climate change continues to remain an existential threat, and the time to act is running out.
Joe Biden has won more votes than any presidential candidate in U.S. history. From the start of his campaign, he made it clear that his focus as president will be to rebuild America’s middle class and invest in an economy that works for everyone. America is ready to turn to the page and get to work building this nation back better.
I also want to thank all those IBEW members who worked so hard to make this victory possible. Joe Biden rebuilt the so-called blue wall with union labor. And we played a vital role in bringing out the vote in Arizona and Georgia as well. Thousands of IBEW members made phone calls, sent messages, and talked to their co-workers about what was at stake in this election and why Joe Biden and Kamala Harris were the right choice for those who care about their jobs, their union, and their futures.
Joe Biden didn’t just make promises to labor. The power professionals of the IBEW had a seat at the table in Biden’s campaign from the beginning. That is why his energy platform is not only aggressive about combating climate change but is also committed to creating tens of thousands of good union jobs and building a 21st-century energy infrastructure.
I know the men and women of the IBEW will continue to have a seat at the table in a Biden/Harris administration as we bring Americans from all walks of life together to build a vibrant and growing economy that rewards work, not wealth, and lifts up all working families.
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The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) represents approximately 775,000 members and retirees who work in a wide variety of fields, including construction, utilities, manufacturing, telecommunications, broadcasting, railroads and government.