The story of how Charles McCrary forged an unshakable relationship between Alabama Power and the local union recently brought more than 450 International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) leaders to their feet.

On April 9, Alabama Power’s retired president and CEO was named an honorary member of the IBEW, a recognition never before bestowed upon a utility executive. IBEW President Ed Hill made the award presentation at the organization’s annual Utility Conference in Orlando.

“Charles, along with Bill Frederick (former IBEW System Council U-19 business manager), introduced the idea of treating each other with respect,” said Jim Hunter, director of the IBEW Utility Department. “Now your employees are in the top tier of safety, and you have a 70 percent participation rate in your wellness program. That is all part of the relationship that Charles has worked so hard to build.”

“You have changed to a new CEO and a new leader of your local IBEW, and yet the relationship has stayed the same,” Hunter said. “It has become institutionalized within your company.” During the two-day conference, IBEW delegates from electric, gas and water utilities across the United States and Canada met to discuss issues affecting their industry.

Alabama Power President and CEO Mark Crosswhite, IBEW System Council U-19 Business Manager Casey Shelton, Regulatory and Corporate Affairs Project Manager Frederick and McCrary led a panel discussion, sharing the history behind today’s strong relationship between the company and the union. The four leaders outlined the struggles and successes during the past 10 years, which have led to friendship, respect and mutual trust.

“Charles has been instrumental in improving the relationship between the covered employees and management,” Crosswhite said. “Under his leadership, we have moved from viewing each other as adversaries to recognizing that we are partners with the common goal of serving our customers.”

This relationship has also led to numerous safety successes, Shelton told the IBEW delegates. With the establishment of Target Zero during this time, company and covered employees alike have made it their goal to put safety first.

“I think the biggest thing that Charles did was he started to trust us, and we started to trust him,” Shelton said. “We committed to Charles a long time ago that if he trusted us, we would never let him down. Now other utilities have seen our success and are asking us how they can build relationships and improve safety at their companies.”

Shelton said the audience listened closely as each panel member gave their presentation. “At the beginning of the meeting, they were introduced to Charles the CEO. But at the end, they knew Charles the person,” he said.