Almost every country has an elevator association. But I have only come across a union of elevator industry workers in the United States.

The International Union of Elevator Constructors Хэштег#IUEC (www.iuec.org) has been successfully operating in North America for over a hundred years. Since the end of the 19th century, there have been separate unions of elevator industry workers in American cities: in New York (1894), Chicago (1897), St. Louis (1898), Boston (1899), Philadelphia (1900), and Pittsburgh (1901). However, at some point, elevator workers decided to unite to create an organization that would promote and protect the interests of elevator electricians from all over the United States. On July 15, 1901, eleven men from New York, Chicago, St. Louis, Boston, and Philadelphia gathered in a hotel room in Pittsburgh, and as a result of their meeting, the Union of Elevator Constructors was registered just three days later.
At the annual convention in 1903, the union established its official journal. That same year, the editor-in-chief created the logo for the new journal, which later became the logo of the IUEC organization and is still used today.
The union acquired the status of an International after it financially supported striking electrical workers in Canada in 1903. During its history, the union has withstood several takeover attempts by larger labor movements: the Association of Mechanics and the Association of Electricians. The main activity of the Union is active participation in resolving numerous labor disputes between its members and employers. Today, the International Union of Elevator Constructors has about 30,000 members from the United States and Canada.
Strong working relationships with employers have allowed the union to conclude reliable contracts with excellent wages and benefits for its members. IUEC leadership prides itself on its ability to resolve disagreements and conflicts quickly and respectfully so that members can continue doing what they do best — using their skills to install and maintain elevators and escalators.
Membership in the union gives electricians a voice, including participation in open elections for union leaders. Interestingly, membership dues are voluntary, but only relatives of active members can count on benefits from the IUEC in the event of death.
IUEC consists of 141 “local” union branches: 129 are in the United States and 12 in Canada. Many branches have their own websites, and some even have mobile apps.
In the next post, I will tell you about an impressive memorial that was built with the help of the Union of Elevator Constructors.