IBEW 1’s Frank Jacobs named to economic rescue committee

IBEW Local 1 Business Manager Frank Jacobs has been appointed to serve with local business and civic leadership on a St. Louis County economic rescue steering committee.

Jacobs represents more than 5,000 highly skilled IBEW electricians and communication technicians who install and maintain critical power and communications.

The steering committee will advise the St. Louis County Economic Rescue Team, created by St. Louis County Executive Sam Page on March 23 to “address economic issues that are specific to workers and businesses in St. Louis County impacted by COVID-19.”

“Frank Jacobs represents a highly skilled and safe workforce that has excelled at adapting to the needs of our communities, especially during the pandemic,” said Page. “As we look to the future, IBEW and its signatory electrical contractors will play an essential role in advancing improvements to energy, technology and communications infrastructure to support a resilient recovery.”

Joining Jacobs on the steering committee are:

• Rick Stevens, president of Christian Hospital.
• Veta Jeffrey, executive director of Heartland St. Louis Black Chamber of Commerce.
• Kellie McCoy, former chief of staff to the CEO of Starbucks.
• Jeff Pittman, chancellor of St. Louis Community College.

SERVING CRITICAL NEEDS
IBEW Local 1 partners with more than 150 contractor members of the St. Louis Chapter, National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) to form the Electrical Connection, a Labor-management partnership, which rapidly adapted to serve critical needs during the pandemic, including powering COVID-19 testing and triage tents at area hospitals and converting hotel rooms to serve coronavirus patients.

Local 1 communication technicians have also installed and are maintaining the backbone of connectivity supporting remote learning, planning, working and other engagements during the pandemic.

Electrical Connection members also have engineered and installed electrical and communications infrastructure in research and development (R&D) facilities locally and nationally that are engaged in COVID-19 vaccine development.