The bi-annual IBEW Women’s Conference carved a new milestone in 2024, bringing together a record number of over 800 IBEW delegates from across North America. IBEW Locals within Canada were well represented and accounted for over 60 delegates.
Aptly themed “Powered for Success,” the conference boasted an agenda with impressive speakers, workshops, and panels, offering a recipe to inspire growth and seed leadership success. However, the magic ingredient of this conference was the attendees, our IBEW Sisters. From long-time members to newly appointed delegates and everyone in between, their collective spirit fostered an incubator for community and support beyond the conference sessions: foundational pillars for higher retention and engagement rates within the IBEW and male-dominated industries.
Teri-Anna Libby, a fifth-term electrical apprentice and a member of IBEW Local 353, felt the event exceeded her already high expectations. “I left feeling empowered and equipped to make a real difference,” she beamed.
An educational highlight for Libby was the Success Signals workshop, which aims to improve interpersonal communication by recognizing and understanding different communication styles. Libby described the workshop as hands-on, providing her with actionable tools and insights applicable to her personal and professional life. An avid believer in knowledge-sharing, Libby plans to share these insights and tools with her colleagues and other IBEW 353 members.
While learning opportunities were plentiful throughout the week, the power of community and mutual support stole the show. Libby recounted a memorable interaction with fellow IBEW sister Cat Corbin from Local 520 in Austin, Texas. Corbin (who was unknown to Libby at the time) shouted, Hey, Canada! to get her attention. Catching her in a moment of exhaustion, Corbin noted the absence of Libby’s megawatt smile – a staple she’d been wearing all week. A simple gesture of concern soon grew to a twenty-minute discussion, illustrating the depth of bonds formed during these gatherings. Corbin’s timely advice (It’s okay to be tired—you can’t be everything to everyone all the time) was a beacon of solidarity for Libby, who emphasized the conference’s role in building resilient networks among women in the industry, irrespective of location.
Red Seal Electrician Lauren Scott-Moncrieff, of Local 230 in Victoria, BC, echoed Libby’s sentiments.
Having begun her career with a non-union company, Scott-Moncrieff recalls hearing of women’s meet-ups in the trades but was discouraged from participating. When she joined the IBEW, a fellow IBEW sister and charge hand changed her perspective and inspired her to get involved. “She always made me feel that her success was my success. I felt that I was an essential part of the team.”
Scott-Moncrieff added that the IBEW Women’s Conference was a powerful experience, “It motivates you to become more active in your local union and to share your voice.”
Turning that motivation into action, Scott-Moncrieff recently joined forces with three other sisters to start a Women’s Committee at IBEW Local 230, which they hope to charter soon. Networking at the conference gave the team various opportunities to connect with and learn from IBEW sisters with established Women’s Committees at other locals.
Libby and Scott-Moncrieff were grateful to their respective Local Union Executive Boards and IBEW members for the opportunity to attend the event. Scott-Moncrieff added, “Working in the trades can be isolating, but attending these conferences and learning from others is valuable. You get a sense of sisterhood and a sense of purpose.”
Libby emphasized the vital role contractors must play in championing gender diversity. She highlighted her employer, Nortown Electric, for always supporting her involvement and participation. Having started her apprenticeship with a non-union contractor, Libby credits this sense of support and community as a pillar of belonging to the IBEW and IBEW-partner contractors.
Support from local union membership, partner employers, and union leadership is indispensable in this journey. It’s a collaborative effort that ensures women in the IBEW have the skills and knowledge to excel and the communal and institutional support necessary to thrive.
IBEW First District International Vice President Russ Shewchuk described the energy at the conference as contagious. “I was truly inspired by the camaraderie displayed and hope to see even greater participation in 2026.”
The 2024 IBEW Women’s Conference exceeded expectations in terms of participation and content and through the palpable sense of purpose and camaraderie it fostered among attendees.
We look forward to the next IBEW Women’s Conference, which will be held in 2026.
