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IBEW Lights the Way
for Industry at Annual AFL-CIO Show

August 2001 IBEW Journal

Six football fields of quality union-made products filled the Los Angeles Convention Center for the AFL-CIO Union Industries Show 2001.

Among the shows top exhibitors was the IBEW, whose displays included members exhibiting their role in bringing motion pictures and television to life in nearby Hollywood, the movie-making capital of the world.

Eight California IBEW locals served as hosts of the event April 2730, which opened with a ribbon-cutting by former Colorado Governor Roy Romer, the superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District. The three-day show offered the opportunity for union electrical workers, electronics technicians and many other trades people to demonstrate union crafts, skills and products.

Local 40, Hollywood, featured previews of upcoming movies by spinning reels from released movies filmed by IBEWs behind-the-scenes camera crews.

Also on hand from the back stages of the film industry were musicians, costume artists and make-up artists who demonstrated such skills as using cosmetic trickery to dramatically age volunteers.

Before the show opened to the public, Los Angeles area high school students and teachers received an exclusive look at the exposition. IBEW Purchasing Director Peter Potenza said there was healthy interest in the IBEWs Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee booth.

As always, the show offered a wide variety of skills and crafts of union workers. One IBEW demonstration featured a miniature house, trees, a lake and power lines. With the introduction of an electric charge, the live current provided a simple but valuable lesson on the need to respect the power of electricity.

Working the electricity display are Jeff Flory (left) and Randy Heldoorn (far right) of Local 47. Looking on between them are Eleventh District International Vice President William C. Eads, Ninth District International Vice President Michael Mowrey and Local 18 Business Representatives William Lewis and Steve Cook.

Due to limitations not faced by other host cities in recent years, the well-known IBEW Starhopper spaceship was barred from the convention center, organizers said, because of the danger it would pose for spectators in case of an earthquake. But the ever-popular remote-controlled IBEW talking robot, I-bew, was on hand to greet visitors.

Thousands of patrons went home with free union-made wares, including drawings for IBEW-made 27-inch Toshiba televisions, GE, Frigidare and Amana appliances, Hoover vacuum cleaners and Presto electric grills, popcorn makers and pressure cookers. Big-ticket giveaways were a Harley Davidson motorcycle, a GM Pontiac Grand Prix, a Ford Escape, a DaimlerChrysler Sebring and round-trip airline tickets from US Airways.

Left- IBEW drawing booth from left to right are IBEW Ninth District International Vice President Michael Mowrey, Sharlene Nunez, IBEW Purchasing Director Peter Potenza, Local 266 Business Manager Ray Nunez, Ninth District International Representative Arthur Jones, International Secretary-Treasurer Executive Assistant Patrick Reilly, Eleventh District International Vice President William C. Eads and Ninth District International Representative Louis Cortopassi.

Center Left - IBEWs Training Center Booth at the AFL-CIO Union Industries Show 2001. Pictured left to right are Eleventh District International Vice President William C. Eads, Ninth District International Vice President Michael Mowrey and Larry Caldwell, from Local 11, Los Angeles.