Powering Chicago Q2 Recap: Industry Sets Sights on Life After COVID

The second quarter of 2021 ushered in a new era for Chicago. COVID-19 numbers were starting to decline, and the number of vaccinated Illinoisans was on the rise. In April, Powering Chicago announced that it had partnered with other local labor unions and local municipalities to ensure vaccines were available to its membership. IBEW Local 134 Business Manager, Don Finn, had argued since the beginning of the pandemic that Powering Chicago union electricians should be some of the first to receive the COVID-19 vaccine because of their work on the front lines.

“I’m grateful for this partnership and the vaccine access that it’s enabled for our members who are deeply deserving of it after sacrificing so much throughout the pandemic,” Finn said in April when the partnership was announced. “We are the very definition of essential and have answered the call to serve from day one, despite the risks to our health and the health of our families.”

Powering Chicago member contractors and electricians were deemed essential employees when the pandemic began in March 2020 and have worked tirelessly to ensure a return to normalcy for Chicago and Cook County. To highlight its member’s efforts, Powering Chicago took part in the Chicago Blackhawks’ One Community Night on May 9 – the first night fans were allowed to return to see the team in person – to honor Chicago’s essential workers.

Powering Chicago’s commitment to better communities has never been more important than it has in the past 16 months. As pandemic-related initiatives have subsided, the unionized electrical industry has looked for other ways to give back to its community.

While Rebuild Together Metro Chicago looked a little different this year due to COVID-19 restrictions, that didn’t stop Powering Chicago members from giving back to those in need. Around the beginning of May, Powering Chicago kicked off a month’s long initiative by donating care packages to the 60 participating homes and over the next four weeks, provided free of charge new doorbells, carbon monoxide detectors, and new lighting to ensure the electrical safety of nearly 60 homes in the Englewood and Chicago Heights communities.  

Next up was a stop at The Bloc, a nonprofit on the city’s west side aimed at spreading the love of boxing to provide resources and opportunities to Chicago’s communities. Powering Chicago’s Super Electric immediately answered the call to assist the nonprofit with a number of electrical upgrades throughout the building. From new wiring throughout to updated light fixtures, Super Electric ensured that The Bloc had everything needed to continue its positive impact on the community.

All of this work ensures Powering Chicago’s commitment to better construction and it’s a big reason why a number of member contractors were recently honored with the 2021 NECA Safety Awards. Powering Chicago contractors were recognized for both the 2021 Recognition of Achievement Zero Injury Award as well as the 2021 Achievement of Safety Excellence. Two other Powering Chicago members, Katie Canino, President of Canino Electric, and Kendra Dinks, President and CEO of Taylor Electric, were recognized separately by Crain’s Chicago Business as part of its Notable Women in Construction and Design for 2021.

As the industry moves into the third quarter of 2021, it’ll do so by keeping one eye on the present challenges still posed by COVID and another on the technologies that’ll drive Chicago and Cook County into the future. Powering Chicago’s commitment to a safer Cook County continues with its ongoing Contactless Office Campaign and restaurant E-book. Both initiatives are aimed at providing a safer environment for Chicagoland residents and workers who are still navigating a post-pandemic world. With another eye on the future, Powering Chicago members are continuing to meet the growing demand for renewable energy and investing in alternative energy solutions that will propel the region forward. A post-pandemic world is in sight and Powering Chicago will continue to play its part to provide a safer workplace and home for its community and neighbors.