Back of a shirt IBEW Local 16 Evansville Ind. The INTERNATIONAL BROTHERHOOD OF ELECTRICAL WORKERS (IBEW) comprises the largest body of highly skilled electrical workers and is the greatest electrical union in the world. Overall, the IBEW represents 750,000 active members and retirees who work in a wide variety of fields, including utilities, construction, telecommunications, broadcasting, manufacturing, maintenance, railroads and government. The IBEW has members in both the United States and Canada. Because it is so large and has so many members in highly skilled occupations, the IBEW is outstanding among the American Unions in the AFL-CIO. The IBEW LOCAL UNION 16 has approximately 1000 active members and 275 retirees. Our jurisdiction covers Crawford, Daviess, Dubois, Gibson, Lawrence, Martin, Orange, Perry, Pike, Posey, Spencer, Vanderburgh, and Warrick counties in Indiana, and Wabash County in Illinois. IBEW Local 16 was chartered on December 13, 1899. The IBEW had a float in the Freedom Festival parade, which is where this photograph was taken. The Evansville Freedom Festival was an annual festival in Evansville, Indiana that celebrates the Fourth of July. What began in 1970 with only a handful of events has grown to include unlimited boat racing, airshows, food booths, dances, and music culminating with a fireworks show over the Evansville riverfront. In recent years the Freedom Festival has been renamed, struggled financially, been sponsored by other organizations, and at times cancelled.