Luther Baker, a journeyman with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 601 and the new president of the East Central Illinois AFL-CIO, is helping lead a newly expanded central labor council that now spans 11 counties. In his interview on the America’s Work Force Union Podcast, Baker traced his career path from fast food work and an unfulfilling college track to a union apprenticeship, then to leadership roles through IBEW RENEW.
He outlined how AFL-CIO modernization efforts drove a regional merger and why the council’s next phase will focus on governance, outreach and operational efficiency. Baker also described a key organizing challenge for the labor movement in central Illinois: building durable collaboration between building trades and public sector unions while engaging the next generation of union leaders.
In many communities, the labor movement’s strength is measured not only by contract wins or organizing drives, but by whether unions can coordinate across industries, generations and geography. That challenge is now front and center in east central Illinois, where a newly expanded AFL-CIO central labor council is working to unify a larger region under one umbrella.
Luther Baker, a journeyman with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 601, is the East Central Illinois AFL-CIO president. On today’s episode of the America’s Work Force Union Podcast, Baker described a leadership path shaped by a familiar working-class reality: his early expectations to follow a traditional college route, years in low-wage service work and a turning point in the building trades.
Now, he is helping guide a merged central labor council that spans 11 counties, a consolidation driven by AFL-CIO modernization efforts aimed at strengthening union coordination across a wider jurisdiction.
Baker’s story begins with a trajectory many students recognize: a college-preparatory education and a long-standing assumption that higher education would be the next destination. He said that expectation was present early, reinforced by family conversations about college as the default path.
But as he moved through college, Baker said he realized the fit was not right. He wanted work that was hands-on and intellectually demanding, a combination he did not see in his day-to-day academic experience.
Before he entered the trades, Baker worked at Jimmy John’s, eventually moving into management. He described the work as fast-paced and skill-building in its own way, but ultimately repetitive with limited long-term opportunities. The management role, he said, shifted him away from the work he enjoyed and into a level of responsibility that did not come with the kind of sustainable career ladder he was seeking.
That led him to the IBEW.
Baker began his apprenticeship with IBEW Local 995 in Baton Rouge, La., completing two years before relocating to Illinois. He said he initially planned to move after becoming a journeyman, but conversations with traveling union members encouraged him to make the transition earlier.
He began the third year of his apprenticeship with IBEW Local 601 in Champaign, Ill. Over time, he said, the trade delivered what he had been looking for: a career that combines technical problem-solving with hands-on execution.
For Baker, the appeal of electrical work lies in integrating planning and precision with physical skill. The job requires workers to understand systems, interpret layouts and execute installations safely and correctly. That balance, he said, is what made the building trades feel like a long-term professional home.
Baker’s trajectory from IBEW member to leader was accelerated through IBEW RENEW, which stands for Reach Out and Engage Next-Gen Electrical Workers.
He explained that RENEW grew out of broader AFL-CIO efforts to increase younger member participation across affiliates, with the IBEW launching its program in 2013. Baker became involved in 2019 and described years of local events designed to build community, strengthen engagement and develop leadership capacity.
He also pointed to the national RENEW conference cycle, held every two years, as a major organizing and networking hub for younger IBEW members across the United States and Canada. Beyond his own Local, Baker said he traveled around Illinois to help other IBEW locals start RENEW groups, a step that reflects the program’s core purpose: building a pipeline of future union leaders.
As Baker transitioned into his AFL-CIO council role, he stepped back from leading RENEW’s Illinois efforts, with new leadership taking over to continue the work.
The East Central Illinois AFL-CIO was formerly the Champaign County AFL-CIO, which merged to expand its jurisdiction.
Baker said the council now covers 11 counties, incorporating Vermilion County and mid-eastern Illinois counties. He described the merger as an effort driven by AFL-CIO modernization priorities that emphasize streamlining, governance compliance and ensuring active coverage across the state.
With expansion comes operational complexity. Baker said the council is working through foundational tasks: updating its constitution, coordinating with newly included Locals and ensuring affiliates understand the new structure.
The first year, he suggested, will be about building a stable system for the expanded council, creating routines and processes that can support long-term community engagement and labor solidarity across a larger footprint.
Baker described a leadership style focused on routine and efficiency, particularly in meetings.
He said the council’s delegates are passionate and engaged, but meetings can run long when discussions drift from agenda items. With an expanded jurisdiction and a need to welcome new participants, he wants meetings to be productive and accessible.
Among the changes he is exploring are hybrid meeting options to improve participation across the 11-county region and a more structured approach to correspondence and endorsements. By sending materials to delegates in advance, Baker said the council can reduce time spent reviewing items on the floor and allow affiliates to make more informed decisions.
The objective is not to limit debate, but to ensure the council can conduct business efficiently while maintaining transparency and the democratic process.
One of Baker’s stated goals is to strengthen collaboration between building trades unions and public sector unions within the central labor council.
He noted that the region also has a building and construction trades council, while the AFL-CIO body brings together a broader mix of affiliates. That mix includes public-sector unions and education unions, alongside trades unions such as painters, carpenters and roofers.
Baker acknowledged that differences can emerge across sectors, but said the council has been able to work through them in good faith. He framed the effort as proactive: building unity before conflicts escalate and recognizing that many issues—community investment, public infrastructure, workforce development—require cross-union alignment.
He also pointed out a practical overlap that often gets overlooked: building trades workers frequently perform work connected to public facilities and public services, creating natural points of shared interest.
Baker returned repeatedly to a core union message: the building trades can be a life-changing alternative for workers who feel stuck in low-wage, high-pressure jobs.
The trades provide the stability that service work cannot—benefits, wage progression, and the ability to build a future, he said. That experience keeps him committed to outreach and to helping others find the same opportunity.
As he begins his tenure as President of the East Central Illinois AFL-CIO, Baker is preparing to lead his first full council meeting and to navigate the early challenges of a newly merged jurisdiction. The work ahead will involve paperwork and governance, but also the deeper mission of a central labor council: building solidarity across locals, strengthening labor’s public presence and ensuring that working people across east central Illinois have a unified voice.
Every victory at the bargaining table starts with workers standing together. From the shop floor to the statehouse, hear how activists are fighting for better wages, safer conditions and a stronger future. Subscribe to the America’s Work Force Union Podcast to get the latest interviews with the leaders and organizers building worker power across America.