Editing Lineworker (section)

==History==
The occupation had begun in 1844 when the first [[telegraph]] wires were strung between [[Washington, D.C.]], and [[Baltimore, Maryland|Baltimore]] carrying the famous message of [[Samuel Morse]], "What hath God wrought?"<ref name="IBEW125">{{cite book |author-link= |date=July 1, 2016 |title=History & Structure: Celebrating 125 Years of IBEW Excellence |location=Washington, DC |publisher=International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers |page=3 }}</ref> The first telegraph station was built in [[Chicago, Illinois|Chicago]] in 1848, by 1861 a web of lines spanned the United States and in 1868 the first permanent telegraph cable was successfully laid across the Atlantic Ocean.<ref name="IBEW125" /> Telegraph lines could be strung on trees, but wooden poles were quickly adopted as the preferred method. The term ''lineworker'' was used for those who set wooden poles and strung wire. The term continued in use with the invention of the telephone in the 1870s and the beginning of [[electrification]] in the 1890s.

This new electrical power work was more hazardous than telegraph or telephone work because of the risk of [[electrocution]]. Between the 1890s and the 1930s, line work was considered one of the most hazardous jobs. This led to the formation of labor organizations to represent the workers and advocate for their safety. This also led to the establishment of [[apprenticeship]] programs and the establishment of more stringent safety standards, starting in the late 1930s. The union movement in the United States was led by lineworker Henry Miller, who in 1890 was elected president of the [[International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers|Electrical Wiremen and Linemen's Union, No. 5221]] of the American Federation of Labor.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ibew.org/articles/01daily/0107/010711.htm|publisher=International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, AFL-CIO, CLC |title=Henry Miller:&nbsp;IBEW's Founder Kindled a Legacy |accessdate=30 August 2013}}</ref>

===United States===
The [[rural electrification]] drive during the [[New Deal]] led to a wide expansion in the number of jobs in the electric power industry. Many powerline workers during that period traveled around the country following jobs as they became available in tower construction, [[electrical substation|substation]] construction, and wire stringing. They often lived in temporary camps set up near the project they were working on, or in boarding houses if the work was in a town or city, and relocating every few weeks or months. The occupation was lucrative at the time,{{citation needed|date=April 2013}} but the hazards and the extensive travel limited its appeal.

A brief drive to electrify some [[railroad]]s on the [[East Coast of the United States|East Coast]] of the US-led to the development of specialization of powerline workers who installed and maintained [[catenary (railways)|catenary]] [[overhead lines]]. Growth in this branch of linework declined after most railroads favored [[Diesel engine|diesel]] over electric engines for replacement of steam engines.

The occupation evolved during the 1940s and 1950s with the expansion of residential electrification. This led to an increase in the number of powerline workers needed to maintain power distribution circuits and provide emergency repairs. Maintenance powerline workers mostly stayed in one place, although sometimes they were called to travel to assist repairs.{{citation needed|date=April 2013}} During the 1950s, some electric lines began to be installed in tunnels, expanding the scope of the work.{{citation needed|date=April 2013}}