‘We heard our neighbors needed help’: Local electricians union aids cleanup effort following Three Rivers tornado
On Sunday, March 10, around 30 IBEW workers, including representatives of KEI electrical construction and Perkins Electric, gathered in Three Rivers to provide free, professional support to those in need.
“We heard our neighbors needed help cleaning up after the storm, so I decided to ask my union brothers and sisters to come lend a hand,” IBEW 131 President Eddie Leboeuf said.
It’s said many hands make light work, and that’s never more true than in the wake of a natural disaster. Tornado damage has left many Three Rivers properties in need of repairs and extensive cleanup, something members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 131 recognized and decided to do something about.
On Sunday, March 10, around 30 IBEW workers, including representatives of KEI electrical construction and Perkins Electric, gathered in Three Rivers to provide free, professional support to those in need.
“We heard our neighbors needed help cleaning up after the storm, so I decided to ask my union brothers and sisters to come lend a hand,” IBEW 131 President Eddie Leboeuf said.
“I expected a few people to show up, but when I arrived at the meet up spot there were 20 company trucks loaded with equipment, and around 30 IBEW members ready to get to work. I was overwhelmed with gratitude when I saw how many of my brothers and sisters showed up.”
The volunteers dispatched a mini excavator, two bobcats, around 20 trucks, a boom truck, and a few chainsaws to help residents clean up debris. Groups of four to five, mostly made up of journeymen electricians and a few apprentices, covered approximately six blocks of real estate over six hours on Sunday. Leboeuf said in addition to cleaning up debris that day, workers repaired one fallen electrical service, and as of Tuesday, KEI service electrician John Bradfield of Centreville replaced eight more services free of charge.
“We knew the community of Three Rivers needed our help, and we were happy to lend a hand anyway we could,” Fletcher Leet of KEI said.
The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers was founded in 1891 in St. Louis, Missouri. Kalamazoo received its charter on September 14, 1916, and today IBEW Local 131 stands at 570 members strong. For more information about IBEW, visit their website.
Alek Haak-Frost is the executive editor, publisher, and founder of Watershed Voice.
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