Area Standards Transition Fund

The Area Standards Transition Fund (ASTF)

Public Announcement, Member FAQ, and Operating Framework

Prepared for: IBEW Locals 1, 2, 309, 453, 649, 124 and NECA signatory partners Date: [Month] 2026 Status: Draft for adoption

PART 1 — Public Announcement

A. Press release (drop-in ready)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE [Date]

IBEW LAUNCHES MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR FUND TO RESTORE AREA ELECTRICAL STANDARDS, OPENS PATHWAY FOR WORKERS PAID BELOW THE RATE

ST. LOUIS — The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Locals 1, 2, 309, 453, 649, and 124 today announced the launch of the Area Standards Transition Fund (ASTF), a [$X] million commitment to support electricians currently working under substandard agreements who want to move to the established electrical area standard.

For nearly twenty years, electricians employed under United Brotherhood of Carpenters Local 57 contracts have been paid wages and benefits significantly below the established IBEW electrical rate for the same work in the same region. The cumulative loss to those workers is estimated in the hundreds of millions of dollars and growing.

“These are our brothers and sisters in the trade. The carpenters’ leadership has been paying them less than their skills are worth for two decades, and most don’t even know how much they’ve lost,” said [Business Manager Name], IBEW Local [#]. “We are putting real money on the table to bring them home — to the real electrical standard.”

The Area Standards Transition Fund will provide qualifying electricians with:

A wage-floor guarantee for the first twelve months of work under an IBEW agreement,
Healthcare gap coverage during the qualification window,
A pension service-credit purchase grant to recover retirement value lost to substandard contracts,
A transition bonus on enrollment, and
Confidential, no-pressure advising on training, certification, and dispatch.

“This is what real solidarity looks like. We are not asking workers to take a leap of faith — we are catching them on the way over,” said [Officer Name].

The fund is jointly capitalized by the six participating IBEW locals, NECA signatory contractors, and the International. Eligibility, application, and contact information are available at [campaign URL].

The launch of the Transition Fund is one component of the broader Respect the Craft — Pay the Standard campaign, a coordinated effort across the six locals to restore area electrical standards on every job in the region.

Media contact: [Name] · [phone] · [email]

B. Member-facing announcement (shorter, plainer)

WE PUT REAL MONEY ON THE TABLE. NOW IT’S YOUR MOVE.

If you are a current Local 57 electrician — apprentice, journeyman, or anywhere in between — the IBEW just opened a door for you that wasn’t there yesterday.

It’s called the Area Standards Transition Fund. We pulled it together because the carpenters’ leadership has been paying you less than your skills are worth, and saying “trust us, switch” was never enough on its own. Now there’s something behind the ask.

Here’s what we are putting on the table for any qualifying Local 57 electrician who wants to make the move:

A wage-floor guarantee so you don’t lose income while you transition.
Healthcare gap coverage so your family is never uncovered, not for a day.
A pension service-credit purchase grant to help you recover years of retirement value the carpenters’ contract didn’t pay you.
A transition bonus when you enroll.
A real person to walk you through it, confidentially, with no pressure and no obligation.

You don’t have to sign a card today. You don’t have to tell your foreman. You don’t have to quit anything.

You just have to want to see the numbers.

Visit [campaign URL] or scan the QR. Confidential. Free. No pressure. Ever.

PART 2 — Member FAQ

Eligibility

Q: Who qualifies for the Transition Fund? Any electrical worker currently or recently employed under a substandard electrical agreement in the jurisdictions of IBEW Locals 1, 2, 309, 453, 649, or 124, including but not limited to UBC Local 57 electrical classifications. Final eligibility is determined on a case-by-case basis by the fund administrator after a confidential intake conversation.

Q: Do I have to be a journeyman? No. Apprentices, helpers, and journey-level workers all qualify. The specific benefits scale to your classification and verified hours.

Q: I have a bad history with the IBEW. Can I still apply? Yes. Many qualifying workers tried the IBEW pathway before and felt it didn’t work for them. Part of why we built this fund is to do that better. Your application is reviewed on its current merits — not on past application history.

Q: I’m already on a job. Do I have to walk off? No. Nothing about applying requires you to take action at your current job. Your conversation with the fund is confidential. You decide every next step.

Q: I’m not even sure I want to switch. I just want to see what’s there. That’s fine. The intake conversation is informational. You can walk away at any point.

Benefits

Q: What is the wage-floor guarantee? For up to twelve months after you enroll, if your weekly take-home from IBEW dispatch drops below [defined threshold based on your prior earnings], the fund makes up the difference. You will not lose income because dispatch is slow.

Q: What is healthcare gap coverage? If there is a gap between your departure from your current healthcare plan and your eligibility for the IBEW health plan, the fund pays for short-term coverage so you and your family are never uninsured. Not for a day.

Q: What is the pension service-credit purchase grant? The carpenters’ pension plan does not pay what the IBEW pension plan pays. We can’t undo the past — but the fund offers a one-time grant to help you purchase service credits or buy into the appropriate IBEW pension vehicle, recovering some of the retirement value that should have been yours all along. The amount depends on your verified hours and age.

Q: What is the transition bonus? A [$X,XXX–$Y,XXX] one-time payment when you enroll and complete skills verification. Direct deposit, no strings.

Q: Is the fund tax-advantaged or taxable? Each component is treated according to applicable IRS rules. Most direct payments are taxable income; pension contributions and certain healthcare payments are not. The fund will provide you with clear written documentation and, on request, a referral to a tax professional at no cost.

Process

Q: How do I start? Three options, all confidential:

Web: [campaign URL] — fill out the short interest form
Phone: [number] — call or text, leave name and number
In person: walk in to any of the six participating IBEW locals and ask for the Transition Fund coordinator

Q: What happens after I reach out? You’ll be connected to a coordinator within [48–72] hours. The first conversation is informational and confidential. You bring your questions. We bring real numbers.

Q: Will my current employer find out? No one at your current job will be contacted by us under any circumstance unless you explicitly authorize it in writing.

Q: Will my name be shared with anyone? No. Your intake conversation, your application, and your case file are confidential. They are not shared with the international, with carpenters’ representatives, with employers, or with any other party except as required by law or with your written consent. The campaign coordinating committee may receive aggregate, de-identified data only.

Q: What does “skills verification” mean? An IBEW JATC or designated instructor will walk through your work history, hours, certifications, and a practical evaluation to determine the appropriate classification for you in the IBEW structure. This is not a test you can fail. It is a placement process. Many Local 57 electricians have more skill than the carpenters’ contract is paying them for, and the verification process is designed to recognize that.

Q: How long does the whole process take? From first contact to dispatch under an IBEW agreement: typically [4–12 weeks], depending on your situation. Faster for some, longer for others. The fund supports you through the full duration.

Concerns

Q: This sounds too good to be true. What’s the catch? There is no catch. The math is the catch. The carpenters’ contract has been paying area electricians less than the area standard since 2007, and we calculate that the cumulative loss is in the hundreds of millions of dollars. The Transition Fund is real money put up by the six IBEW locals, NECA signatory contractors, and the International — because we believe the cost of doing nothing is much higher than the cost of doing this.

Q: What if I apply and don’t qualify? Then you leave with the information, no obligation, and no record of having applied. Your intake conversation is destroyed at your request.

Q: What if I qualify and then change my mind? You can withdraw at any point. If you’ve already received benefits, the coordinator will walk you through any clawback provisions — these are deliberately narrow and only apply in specific cases (e.g., never reporting for verified dispatch). For most workers who decide it isn’t the right fit, there is no penalty.

Q: What about the carpenters’ apprenticeship credit I’ve earned? The IBEW JATC reviews your training and gives credit where it can. You do not start at zero. The verification process is designed to honor what you already know.

Q: I’m worried about retaliation from my current employer or union. We take that seriously. The fund includes legal-aid referrals for any worker who experiences retaliation in connection with an application or transition. Several earlier transitioning workers have already gone through this process without retaliation — but if it happens to you, you are not alone, and there are real protections.

Why now

Q: Why didn’t the IBEW do this years ago? Honest answer: because the scale of the problem grew faster than the institutional response. The 2007 agreement was supposed to be limited. It wasn’t. Twenty years in, with cumulative losses in the hundreds of millions and federal compliance pressure mounting, the moment to put real money behind real workers is now.

Q: Is this a stunt? No. The fund is capitalized, governed by a written trust agreement, audited annually, and reported publicly. The first dollars are committed before this announcement is made.

Q: How long will it last? The fund has an initial [3]-year operating window and is designed to refill annually as long as the underlying conditions persist. Our goal is to make it unnecessary as quickly as possible — by lifting every worker in the region to the real electrical standard.

PART 3 — Operating Framework (for the joint campaign committee)

A. Capitalization

Source	Amount	Form
IBEW International	$[X]M	Grant
Six participating locals (pro rata)	$[X]M	Assessment / general fund
NECA signatory contractors	$[X]M	Voluntary contribution, deductible to the extent allowed
Industry advancement funds	$[X]M	Where permitted under existing CBAs
Total Year 1	$[X]M

Capitalization should be sufficient to support at least [N] transitioning workers in Year 1 across the six-local footprint at full benefit levels.

B. Governance

Trustees: 1 per participating local + 2 NECA + 1 International. Odd number for tie-breaking.
Administrator: A jointly contracted third-party administrator with Taft-Hartley experience. Strict confidentiality covenants. Direct line to legal counsel.
Audit: Annual independent audit. Public summary published. Confidential individual files protected.
Conflict of interest policy: Trustees who organize on a given employer recuse themselves from that employer’s case files.

C. Benefit specifications (template — fill in)

Benefit	Specification
Wage-floor guarantee	Up to 12 months; threshold = 90% of trailing 6-month average earnings under prior employment, capped at [$X]/week
Healthcare gap coverage	COBRA-equivalent or short-term group plan, fully funded by ASTF, until IBEW health eligibility begins
Pension service-credit grant	Up to [$X,000] one-time grant, scaled by verified hours and age, paid into appropriate IBEW pension vehicle
Transition bonus	[$X,XXX–$Y,XXX] one-time, taxable, paid 30 days after verified dispatch
Skills verification	At no cost to the worker; transportation reimbursement available
Legal aid	Retaliation defense referral; up to [$X,000] per worker, expanded with trustee approval

D. Confidentiality protocol

Intake forms stored on encrypted, access-controlled systems.
Case files identified by ID number, not name, in any aggregate reporting.
No worker name shared with anyone — including the participating locals’ leadership, organizers, the International, the press, or carpenters’ representatives — without that worker’s specific written consent.
Workers may request destruction of their intake file at any time.
Annual confidentiality audit by independent counsel.

E. Metrics (for the campaign committee, not for public posting)

Track monthly:

Intakes received
Active cases
Verified placements
Total benefits paid out
Average time from intake to dispatch
Retention at 6, 12, 24 months
Aggregate wage-floor draws (a leading indicator of dispatch health)

Public quarterly disclosure: anonymized totals only.

F. Communications cadence

Quarterly public update from the trustees, on letterhead, on the campaign site
Annual report at the central labor council and state federation
Monthly internal report to the six locals’ Business Managers
Real-time alerts to the joint campaign committee for any retaliation incident

G. Launch sequence (suggested)

T–60 days:

Final trust documents executed
TPA selected and onboarded
Initial $[X]M committed to escrow
Internal communications to the six locals’ staff and stewards
Confidential briefing to known sympathetic carpenters

T–30 days:

Web infrastructure live in staging
First three test intakes from already-known prospective transitioners
Press kit (separate document) updated to reflect fund launch

T–14 days:

Briefing to allied labor council leadership
Briefing to friendly elected officials
Embargoed advance to one or two trusted reporters

T–0 (Launch day):

Press release distributed
Member-facing announcement deployed to all channels
Direct-mail piece in the mail to every identified Local 57 household
Geo-fenced mobile ad campaign live
Phone line and web intake operational
Two named workers available for press interviews

T+30 days:

First publicly reported transition completion
First quarterly update prepared
Year 1 capitalization confirmed in writing across all contributing parties

This document is a draft framework for adoption by the participating locals, NECA signatories, and the International. All dollar figures and benefit specifications are placeholders pending trust-agreement finalization and actuarial review.