INTERNATIONAL BROTHERHOOD OF ELECTRICAL WORKERS for INTERNATIONAL BROTHERHOOD OF ELECTRICAL WORKERS
Versions of this report
Every filing the register holds for this firm, client and period, oldest first. The most recent one is the version LegiList counts.
| Filing | Filed | Amount | Counted |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4th Quarter - Report | Jan 19, 2016 | $279,699 | Replaced |
| 4th Quarter - Amendment (this page) | Jan 27, 2016 | $279,699 | Yes |
What was lobbied
10 issue areas, each in the filer's own words, with who lobbied on it and where.
Environment/Superfund ENV
The IBEW urged Congress to support incentives to help facilitate the commercial deployment of carbon capture and sequestration along with carbon capture utilization and storage. As the U.S. moves toward a lower-carbon future, full scale development of these technologies will be necessary if coal is to have a future in the nations energy mix.
| Lobbyist | Covered position, as disclosed |
|---|---|
| BRUCE G BURTON | — |
| DAN GARDNER | — |
Labor Issues/Antitrust/Workplace LBR
IBEW continued to participate in educational meetings with Congressional staff to inform them about the Davis-Bacon Act of 1931, legislation that requires workers employed on construction projects funded by the federal government be paid wages no less than what are prevailing in the geographic area. IBEW Continues to oppose efforts to ban the use of Project Labor Agreements (PLA's) on federally funded construction projects. The IBEW strongly supports the use of PLA's on private and public construction projects. PLA's typically save taxpayer dollars by including accelerated dispute resolution procedures: standards regarding hiring of local workers and minorities; and apprenticeship and training. On Jan. 19, 2016 IBEW sent a letter to all members of the US House of Reps in opposition to HR 1671. The bill would ban the use of PLA's on federally funded projects. IBEW is lobbying members of the US House of Reps to vote no on that bill.
| Lobbyist | Covered position, as disclosed |
|---|---|
| DAN GARDNER | — |
Fuel/Gas/Oil FUE
The IBEW lobbied in support of the Keystone XL Pipeline Act (H.R. 3 and S. 1), legislation that would approve the Keystone XL Pipeline. Although America continues to recover from the worst recession since the Great Depression, unemployment rates in the construction industry remain relatively high. Construction of the pipeline will put Americans back-to-work and have positive ripple effects throughout the economy. The IBEW urged Congress to oppose H.R. 702 or any legislation lifting the crude oil export ban. Each year, IBEW construction electricians and apprentices, who earn middle-class wages and benefits, work millions of labor hours in American oil refineries. Lifting the crude oil export ban would place many of those hours at risk as oil producers would no longer be required to refine crude oil before export. The Rovers Gas Pipeline project in Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, and Michigan proposes to transport 3.25 billion cubic feet per day of domestically produced natural gas to markets. Under section 7 of the Natural Gas Act, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) reviews applications for construction and operation of natural gas pipelines. IBEW has signed onto a joint letter to Chairman Norman C. Bay dated December 21, 2015, asking for a timely review of the pipeline. IBEW has asked select members of congress for assistance advocating for a timely review by FERC.
| Lobbyist | Covered position, as disclosed |
|---|---|
| DAN GARDNER | — |
Trade (domestic/foreign) TRD
The IBEW urged Congress to oppose the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act of 2015 (H.R. 644) and H.R. 2146, the legislative vehicle for Trade Promotion Authority (TPA). If adopted, TPA would allow Congress an up or down vote on a free trade agreement with no opportunity to improve or amend the agreement. The IBEW lobbied Congress not to impede a new 123 Agreement (treaty) with China after the President submits the renewed accord to Congress. Required by the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, a 123 Agreement must be in force before a company may export American-made nuclear equipment to a foreign country. The current U.S.-China 123 Agreement is scheduled to expire on December 30, 2015. The IBEW supports its renewal. The IBEW urged the Department of Energy to approve a Non-Free Trade Agreement (NFTA) export license (FE Docket No. 12-32-LNG) for Jordan Cove Energy Project. If approved, Jordan Cove plans to construct a $5.7 billion liquefied natural gas (LNG) export facility near Coos Bay, OR. Building this facility will create an average of 900 construction jobs over 42 months with permanent employment expected to be around 150 workers. The IBEW encouraged Congress to pass the Export-Import (Ex-Im) Bank Reauthorization Act of 2014 (S. 2709). The Ex-Im Bank levels the playing field for U.S. companies who sell their products abroad by matching the financing foreign governments provide for their exporters. Since 2009 the Ex-Im Bank has helped retain or create 1.2 million jobs in the U.S. including 205,000 just last year and at no cost to American taxpayers.
| Lobbyist | Covered position, as disclosed |
|---|---|
| BRUCE G BURTON | — |
| DAN GARDNER | — |
Railroads RRR
IBEW strongly supports the workers at Nippon Sharyo Illinois plant. There have been layoffs at this plant, the IBEW has advocated that laid off workers be rehired on a seniority basis. The state of Illinois has invested nearly $11 million dollars in tax credits, Department of Transportation funds, and community development investment programs. These laid off workers are highly skilled and trained. IBEW has asked select Illinois members of congress to join in the effort of encouraging Nippon Sharyo to rehire laid off workers (when rehiring is needed) on a seniority basis.
| Lobbyist | Covered position, as disclosed |
|---|---|
| DAN GARDNER | — |
Utilities UTI
The IBEW urged Congress to support language found in Section 4302 of the Energy Policy Modernization Act of 2015 that would help address grid reliability in deregulated electricity markets. Competitive market conditions, cumulative environmental regulations, and capacity market rules that disadvantage baseload power generation has made the grid more dependent on less reliable resources. Under these conditions, it has been difficult for baseload generation to clear capacity market auctions thus placing grid reliability at risk. Section 4302 is an attempt to fix this problem. The Plains & Eastern Clean Line is an approximately 700-mile direct current transmission line that will deliver wind energy from the Oklahoma Panhandle region to utilities and customers in the Mid-South and Southeastern United States. The project meets the Section 1222 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42US.C 16421) authority to approve a major interstate electrical transmission plan. IBEW strongly supports section 1222 authority and has opposed efforts by any member of congress to offer bills or amendments to any bill circumventing that authority.
| Lobbyist | Covered position, as disclosed |
|---|---|
| BRUCE G BURTON | Lobbyist |
| DAN GARDNER | — |
Financial Institutions/Investments/Securities FIN
The IBEW continued to lobby Congress in support of the Department of Labors efforts to update and close loopholes in the 40-year-old rules that apply when individuals receive professional advice regarding retirement investments. Updating and improving protections for retirement savers is urgently needed and long overdue. The current rules with their inadequate safeguards cost American consumers approximately $17 billion annually. The IBEW encouraged Congress to pass the Export-Import (Ex-Im) Bank Reauthorization. The Ex-Im Bank levels the playing field for U.S. companies who sell their products abroad by matching the financing foreign governments provide for their exporters. Since 2009 the Ex-Im Bank has helped retain or create 1.2 million jobs in the U.S. including 205,000 just last year and at no cost to American taxpayers.
| Lobbyist | Covered position, as disclosed |
|---|---|
| DAN GARDNER | — |
Retirement RET
The IBEW lobbied in support of legislation - not yet introduced - that would permit multi-employer (Taft-Hartley) defined benefit pension trustees to voluntarily change their particular plan to a composite design. Today, federal law limits plan sponsors to offer either a traditional defined benefit pension (DB) or a 401(k)-style defined contribution (DC) plan. Composite plans provide a way to bridge the gap between these two choices, combining the lifetime income payments of DB plans (for employees) with the predictable cost structure of DC plans (for employers).
| Lobbyist | Covered position, as disclosed |
|---|---|
| DAN GARDNER | — |
Health Issues HCR
On March 23, 2010, President Obama signed The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, H.R. 3590 (ACA), (also known as Obamacare). The ACA included a tax on high cost health care plans called the "Excise Tax on High Cost Employer - Sponsored Health Coverage" (Excise Tax). The excise tax will begin in 2018. It is a 40% tax on the cost of employer-based health insurance that exceeds certain amounts-generally $10,200 for individual coverage and $27,500 for family coverage (excluding optical and dental coverage). IBEW has been lobbying for cosponsors for a draft repeal of the excise tax bill.
| Lobbyist | Covered position, as disclosed |
|---|---|
| DAN GARDNER | — |
Energy/Nuclear ENG
The IBEW urged Congress to continue funding for the National Nuclear Security Administrations Mixed-Oxide (MOX) Fuel Fabrication Facility Project located at the Department of Energys Savanna River Site, just outside Aiken, South Carolina. When complete the facility will process weapons-grade plutonium into MOX fuel pellets for peaceful use in licensed nuclear reactors.
| Lobbyist | Covered position, as disclosed |
|---|---|
| BRUCE G BURTON | — |
| DAN GARDNER | — |
Shown as published by the Senate Office of Public Records and the House Clerk under the Lobbying Disclosure Act. The official filing is the record; open it for the full form.