Jack Murphy, a lineman for AEP and a proud member of Local 116 since 1968, embodies dedication in every sense of the word. With 56 years on the job, he has answered 97% of emergency calls — a remarkable achievement that, as Local 116 President Jason Fabynick puts it, “would put him in the Hall of Fame if he were a baseball player.” Murphy’s steadfast commitment has set a benchmark for reliability among his peers.
Murphy’s journey with AEP began right after high school in Coshocton, Ohio. Inspired by watching a lineman working on a pole outside his school window, he knew line work was his calling. When AEP came to recruit at his school, he seized the opportunity. Starting as a groundman, he worked his way up through the ranks, eventually reaching the role of “A” lineman — the contract’s highest classification — after nearly a decade of training and on-the-job experience.
What’s kept Murphy going all these years is the camaraderie of his crew and the chance to travel for mutual aid responses. While new technologies have reshaped parts of the job, Murphy says the core of line work remains the same. Over his five-plus decades, one of the most notable changes has been in safety improvements. Although he primarily uses a bucket truck these days, he jokes, “I can still climb a pole if I have to.”
Murphy estimates that he has answered the call for mutual aid over 50 times since his first deployment to Ontario, Canada, in 1998 following a severe ice storm. Most recently, he spent 10 days in Florida after Hurricane Milton. “One year, I was in Florida for two weeks, came back, and was sent out again for another two weeks,” he recalls.
Murphy’s roots run deep in Ohio, where he and his wife Lyn raised seven children and now enjoy “more grandchildren than I can count.” As he prepares to retire in early 2025, he looks back on his career with pride and gratitude. “It’s been a great pleasure working for AEP all these years,” he says, grateful for the friendships and challenges that sustained him. Local 116 will undoubtedly feel his absence, but Jack Murphy’s legacy will remain woven into the fabric of the community he served so well.