For the first time since 2019, the Chinese labor delegation representing the Hubei Provincial Federation of Trade Unions visited the IBEW/NECA Electrical Industry Training Center in Long Island City, Queens on Monday, July 8th. The Chinese labor delegates were impressed by the facility and apprenticeship program.
Local 3 IBEW and the Joint Industry Board have enjoyed a special relationship with the trade unions of Hubei Province, China ever since signing a historical Cultural Exchange Agreement in 1999 under the leadership of Business Manager Thomas Van Arsdale. Over the years, Chinese labor delegates have made repeated tours of Local 3’s facilities, sharing best practices for safety and skills in the electrical trade, and Business Manager Chris Erikson has represented Local 3 on two official trips to China, one of which included a CUNY-sponsored lecture on collective bargaining.
