During the formative years, the IBEW was headquartered in the city in which its President lived. When Frank J. McNulty became the first full-time, salaried officer of the Brotherhood, headquarters was fixed in Springfield, Illinois.

In March, 1920, IBEW headquarters relocated permanently to Washington, D.C., where numerous international unions were establishing offices near the seat of government. The International Office of our Brotherhood was established in a new building erected by the International Assn. of Machinists. The new headquarters utilized the office equipment moved from Springfield, and many members of the Springfield staff voluntarily relocated to Washington.

THE EWBA

Uniform bonding of financial officers of all local unions through the International Office went into effect in January, 1920. This action of the 15th Convention afforded a great deal of stability and protection to the funds of our local unions.

From its inception, the IBEW was bound by the principle that brotherhood and benefits are inseparable. Death benefits were paid through the years, even when our organization was nearly bankrupted by its moral commitment to its members. Death benefits for electrical workers were extremely important in the early day; because the work was so dangerous, no company would insure our members at any premium. Union members often passed the hat to assure a decent burial for their colleagues killed on the job. With these problems in mind, delegates to our 16th Convention voted to form the Electrical Workers' Benefit Association (EWBA), which became effective on January 1, 1922.

At our 17th Convention held in Montreal, Quebec, in 1923, the First General Convention of the EWBA was held. The 17th was also the first IBEW Convention held outside the United States. So, the 17th Convention not only improved the lot of our members by providing additional benefits, but also strengthened the feelings of brotherhood and cooperation between American and Canadian members of the IBEW.

In 1924, the Research Department of our Brotherhood was established, one of the first such departments instituted by labor unions. The International Officers wanted a more systematic and orderly presentation of wage cases, and they felt that more help in this regard would be provided through a department devoted to this purpose. The Research Department of that time collected, related and interpreted wage and hour reports and forwarded this information to local unions engaged in negoations. To keep pace with ever-changing conditions, this department's responsibilities have multiplied considerably. It is known today as the Research and Technical Services Department and provides a variety of services.

International Secretary Ford, the "grand old man" who did so much to establish our union on a permanent basis, resigned because of failing health. G.M. Bugniazet, who had been serving as a Vice President, replaced him in February 1925.

The 18th Convention of the IBEW was held in Seattle in 1925. President James Noonan stated in his report:

Since then the IBEW has held a position on what is know now as the AFL-CIO Executive Council.

The Brotherhood's 19th Convention was held in Detroit in August 1927. This historic Convention established our IBEW Pension Plan. The pension, $40 a month, for members 65 years old with 20 years' continuous good standing became effective January 1, 1928. The amount paid into the Pension Fund by our members at that time was 37 cents per month.

THE PENSION PLAN

When our first Pension Plan was adopted by the Convention, the Great Depression of the 1930's lurked just around the corner. The Pension Plan and its requirement of 20 years' continuous good standing prevented greater loss of membership in those dire days. True, we lost many members; but many more sacrificed to maintain their union membership. Some stayed through loyalty to the Brotherhood, of course; some to retain their pension rights.

The International Strike Fund was eliminated at the 19th Convention. Amid other complications, a prolonged railroad strike has exhausted its funds.

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