Preamble

Of the first Constitution of the I.B.E.W., drafted November 21, 1891

The objects of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers are:  To organize all workers in the entire electrical industry in the United states and Canada, including all those in public utilities and electrical manufacturing, into local unions; To promote reasonable methods of work; To cultivate feelings of friendship among those of our industry; To settle all disputes between employers and employees by arbitration (if possible); To assist each other in sickness or distress; To secure employment; To reduce the hours of daily labor; To secure adequate pay for our work; To seek a higher and higher standard of living; To seek security for the individual; And, by legal and proper means, to elevate the moral, intellectual, and social conditions of our members, their families, and dependents, in the interest of a higher standard of citizenship.