PRESS RELEASE

March 18, 2025

IBEW 2150 Opposes Milwaukee Common Council Candidate Alex Brower’s Proposed Takeover of We Energies Electric System

Milwaukee, WI – March 18, 2025 – Jim Meyer, IBEW 2150 Business Manager

International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) 2150 strongly opposes Alex Brower’s proposal for the City of Milwaukee to take over We Energies’ electric system.  This plan would hurt both Milwaukee residents and our members, especially those working in the city.

We’ve always stood against utility takeovers — whether it’s a public takeover of private utilities or vice versa.  These takeovers put our members at risk, particularly when it comes to retirement security.  If this happens, workers could lose years of progress toward their pensions, medical benefits, and other retirement plans.  They’d be forced out of their current plans before qualifying for full benefits and would have to start over in a new system where they likely wouldn’t meet the years required for full benefits.

There’s also a serious risk to disaster preparedness.  Under We Energies, thousands of workers are ready to respond when something goes wrong in Milwaukee, as we’ve seen after past emergencies.  That safety net disappears if the city takes control.

The bottom line is that this proposed takeover would harm almost everyone and fix nothing. IBEW 2150 urges Alex Brower to reconsider and withdraw his proposal.