International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers International (IBEW) president Edwin Hill has appointed Michael Monahan as international vice president of the union's 2nd district, directing all IBEW affairs in New England.
Monahan, longtime business manager of Boston-based IBEW Local 103, recently joined the 2nd district as an international representative and will now oversee New England's 40,000-plus IBEW members and over 50 local unions. He replaces retiring international vice president Frank Carroll as of January 2.
"Equally as savvy in the boardroom as he is in the union hall, Mike earned his stake as one of the country's foremost labor leaders the moment he took charge of Local 103 in 2003," said Hill. "He voluntarily signed 164-plus previously non-union contractors during his tenure - the region's highest organizing success rate ever - and clearly understands how to grow market share in the face of adversity. I have no doubt the 2nd District will continue its upward trajectory under his watch."
The 750,000-member IBEW has 11 vice presidents across North America, each guiding particular geographic territories. Its craftspeople perform in a variety of industries, including utilities, construction, manufacturing, railroads and government. All international vice presidents report directly to President Hill, serve five-year terms and supervise a staff of international representatives.
Monahan, who earned his Massachusetts electrical license in 1986 and started as a Local 103 business agent in 1995, serves on the Boston Redevelopment Authority as a mayoral appointee. He resides in the Dorchester section of Boston, where he remains one of the area's most highly regarded decision makers. In 2015, it will have been 103 years since Monahan's great-grandfather, George, joined Local 103. His grandfather, Walter J., and his father, Walter R., were both Local 103 business managers and international representatives before him.
"As a fourth-generation IBEW member, it is a tremendous honor to serve my union in this heightened role. My title is changing, but my devotion to union families will not," said Monahan. "Growing income inequality shafts ordinary American families. I won't rest as the IBEW creates more socially responsible career opportunities for New England's middle class."