IBEW Utility & Media Directors
Donnie Colston is the Utility Director, and Mark Brueggenjohann is the Media Director, for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.
If you were wondering why the lineman braves the elements, and sometimes drives the truck across states to join the fight, read on. It'll be easy to see then that they are truly the passion of power.
PUF: What is your job and what do you do on a typical day?
Donnie Colston: My job is the director of utilities for IBEW and we represent just over ninety percent of the investor owned utilities, co-ops, and municipalities. We have about two hundred and forty thousand members we represent, and any normal day for us would be to review legislative and regulatory matters that may have an impact on the utilities and our members.
We process about sixteen hundred and fifty bargaining agreements throughout the U.S. and Canada. We also partner with a few utilities throughout the U.S. in apprenticeship training programs for our members, such as lineworkers, substation workers and power plant operators.