Brother Ed Hill has announced that he will retire as International President of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), effective June 1, 2015. The International Executive Council has appointed Sixth District Vice President Lonnie Stephenson as the next International President.
President Hill was born inPennsylvania, In 1956, he joined IBEW Local 712 in Beaver, Pennsylvania as a wireman, graduating from the apprenticeship program in 1960. In 1964, Hill was elected vice president of the local, eventually becoming president. He was elected the Local's business manager in 1970. While serving as the union's business manager, Brother Hill became active in larger labour movement issues. He was elected treasurer, then vice president and Committee on Political Education (COPE, the union's political action committee) chairman. In 1982, IBEW president Charles Pillard appointed Hill to be an international representative with the national union. In 1992, Hill was appointed Third District Office International Representative. He served in that position until 1994, when he was named Third District Vice President, overseeing union activities in Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey and Delaware. In March 1997, Brother Hill was appointed IBEW International Secretary. In 1998, the IBEW membership, meeting in convention, voted to alter the IBEW constitution and combine the office of secretary with the office of treasurer and at that time, Brother Hill assumed the duties of both offices. In that position he streamlined the union's accounting systems and updated its record-keeping and membership databases. He also oversaw an expansion of the union's training programs, and poured new resources into organizing. As Secretary-Treasurer, Hill also built up the union's political action fund, and began its first grassroots member mobilization efforts. As a trustee, Hill also worked to improve the performance of the union's benefit and pension funds. Brother Hill was appointed IBEW President on January 29, 2001 and easily won reelection to a 5-year term at the International convention.
