Why Rural Utility Workers Should Unionize with IBEW Local 342

You Keep the Lights On

As a rural utility worker, you’re responsible for one of the most essential services in any community: reliable, safe electric power. Whether you are a line worker restoring power after storms, a technician maintaining substations, or a meter reader serving your neighbors, it is you that keeps the system running.

Yet too often, the people doing this critical work in rural electric cooperatives are underpaid, overworked, and left out of the decisions that affect their safety and their future. That is why it is time to organize with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 342 and take your power back.

A Union with Over a Century of Backbone

The IBEW was founded in 1891 by electrical workers who were tired of risking their lives for low pay and zero protection. Since then, it has grown into one of the most effective and respected unions in North America—representing tens of thousands of utility workers at public, private, and cooperative utilities.

IBEW Local 342, chartered in 1987, represents electrical workers across Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point and the surrounding areas. Specifically, we represent workers living in the 17 counties in the Central Piedmont region of North Carolina. We are ready to stand with utility workers at rural electric co-ops who want better, because we know the value of your work, and we know how to help you win improvements on the job.

Why Organize a Union at a Rural Electric Co-op?

Co-ops were created to serve the public good, not to cut corners or treat workers like numbers; however, over time, many have started to act differently, far away from their original messaging and purposes. Non-union co-ops tend to pressure workers to do more with less, make changes without input, and let safety or staffing fall by the wayside.

Organizing with IBEW Local 342 helps change that. Through a union, you and your coworkers can:

• Negotiate better pay and fair raises

• Secure healthcare and retirement benefits

• Set and enforce safety standards

• Protect against favoritism and unfair discipline

• Gain real job security

• Have a voice in the decisions that affect your life

And with a legally binding contract, management has to follow through—not just make empty promises.

You Deserve Respect

A union isn’t just about benefits and wages. It’s about dignity, fairness, and respect. As a union member, you don’t have to accept unsafe assignments, unclear expectations, or arbitrary decisions. You gain representation, support, and solidarity.

IBEW Local 342, along with the IBEW 10th District, brings experienced organizers, legal backing, and national support to the table. You bring the knowledge, unity, and courage it takes to make change.

We’re Ready to Stand With You

If you’re a worker at a rural electric cooperative, and you’re ready to take control of your future, IBEW Local 342 is here to help. We will walk with you through every step of the organizing process—from the first conversation to a signed union contract. We will do it professionally and confidentially.

Reach out to an organizer with Local 342 and we can help begin the process. Fill out the "organize today" or "contact us" form on our website, or reach out to us directly:

Julian McDaniel - (743) 643-5128 or Juian@ibew342.org

Taran Hamill - (336) 540-4513 or Taran@ibew342.org

Allen Farlow - (336) 554-1637 or Allen@ibew342.org

It’s your job. It’s your community. It’s your time. Let’s build power together.