Veterans Report — May 2022

Brothers and Sisters,

Since my last report, I was asked to conduct a Veterans Electrical Entry Program (VEEP) Workshop for the Annual IBEW Construction and Maintenance Conference, that took place this year in Washington D.C., preceding the North American Building Trades Unions (NABTU)Conference.

The workshop provided an opportunity to educate all Locals within the IBEW about the VEEP and what it offers us in terms of veteran recruitment. The program itself is a pre-apprenticeship that delivers veterans the first-year Inside Wireman curriculum during a seven-week course. Successful completion of the course provides veterans the opportunity for direct entry into an apprenticeship as a registered apprentice providing that the accepting JATC is willing to accept a VEEP graduate.

So, unlike what happens through the normal application process, the veterans are partaking in a very rigorous course that in the end provides the IBEW a much better trained and prepared apprentice.

I also attended the 9th District progress meeting during which I participated in a roundtable discussion with IO Rep Dave Reaves and Kyle Kaiser of Local 1547 in a conversation lead by IO Rep Billy Powell regarding the VEEP and how it will positively impact our union. This conversation was met with great enthusiasm by the members in attendance.

In closing, I would be remiss not to mention that on April 23,the Electrical Training Institute conducted a graduation ceremony, the first in the past three years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. At that graduation, which included more than 500 graduates from the past three years, 83 were veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces. Thank you, Local 11, NECA and most importantly, the membership for your reception of them.

Mike Kufchak
Director of Veteran Affairs

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