International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), Local 103, has elected Louis Antonellis as the union's next president. Antonellis will fill the void left by former president John Dumas, who was elected as Local 103 business manager last week. Antonellis, a resident of Billerica, is a 24 year member of Local 103 and has served as a business agent for the past ten years. He has served as a member of the Local 103 examining board, as a member of the Local 103 executive board, and as a member of the negotiating committee. Antonellis graduated from Harvard University's Trade Union Program in 2009.
Throughout his career, Antonellis says that he has made it a goal to give back to the community as much as he can. He has volunteered on numerous Habitat for Humanity projects, wiring homes for deserving families across Greater Boston. In 2012, Antonellis was among a group of Local 103 members who traveled to Haiti to assist in building a new 320-bed hospital in Mirebalais, a city that was devastated by an earthquake in January 2010. "It's important for me to remember to give back whenever I am able to," Antonellis said. "It really helps me keep things in perspective."
Looking forward to his new role, Antonellis thanked Dumas for the work he has done over the past eighteen years as President of the union. "I've learned a lot from John Dumas during the past decade," he said. "His tireless efforts as President improved the quality of life, not just for our members, but for working families across Greater Boston. His work is an example I will take with me into my new role. I'm glad that we will be able to continue working together to further our shared goal of making sure that each and every Local 103 member is able to find work."
What Antonellis will bring to the office of president, he says, is a renewed drive for fairness in every workplace. "I am a strong believer in 'equal pay for equal work,'" he said. "There is absolutely no reason why one person should be compensated more than another for performing the same job." Antonellis said he will also introduce a new initiative to recruit more women and minorities to Local 103. "As our industry continues to evolve and new technologies emerge, I will make sure that Local 103 continues to be made up of the most skilled electricians and technicians available to us, regardless of race or gender."
Antonellis highlighted the strong position in which the union currently sits, thanks in part to Dumas, who will take over the business manager's post from Michael Monahan. "I know times are still tough out there for workers struggling to make ends meet for their families, but the preparation and hard work of our leadership and our members has put us in a better place to be able to promote job creation as the economy continues to improve. My job now is to make sure that, going forward, every business, every lawmaker, and every member of the public understands that workers deserve an opportunity to earn a decent wage, to receive a family-sustaining benefits package, and to feel safe and respected in their workplace. I will not stop working until that is the case."