Building Trades News

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Refinery work is in full swing as are several major projects downtown. The Tom Bradley Terminal at LAX is moving along with Sasco doing the majority of the job. The Eastside Light Rail is going to be gangbusters soon with Steiny and newly organized contractor Balfour Beatty Rail doing about 40 million dollars in electrical work on the project. Balfour Beatty Rail will be hiring soon so look for job calls this spring and summer.

On the Exposition Line Light Rail project, Local 11 contractor Terno Inc. recently picked a large project after a non-signatory was removed from the job for safety and performance issues. Show ‘em what the union can do Terno!

We just finished a hugely successful solar power class that was attended by over 450 members and contractors. Nearly 1,000 members and contractors have attended these classes this year and we will be having another class within the next few months.

Very special thanks to Bernie Kotlier and James Worden from Solectria Renewables, Tim Townsend from BEW Engineering and John Wiles from New Mexico State University. These men designed a program for Local 11 electricians that will become a national model. The time they spent to design and teach these classes was all pro bono, in other words… free. We owe them a great deal of gratitude for their work. Thanks also to Sun Tech solar panels for their participation in the event and for the equipment for the classes.

Several major contractors are bidding on and being awarded this work so don’t be left out, take the next class.

The next contractor class is June 22nd, 23rd, 24th at the ETI. So far 18 members have already started union shops and are out there bidding work. If you know of some one in need of a contractor for a service change or small to medium sized projects let the Business Development Department know. We can connect them up with one of our new contractors to do this work. Call Tom Martinez in the Business Development Department (626) 243- 9700 ext. 738

Organizing is going very well with the 13 new union shops signed up this year so far. To meet the demand for all these new contractors we are looking for good journeyman electricians and apprentices to join our union. Apprentices need two years working in the electrical trade for an electrical contractor and a high school diploma and journeymen need 5 years in the trade and a California state certification. Anyone interested in joining can talk to an organizer in the districts or call (626) 243-9793 to speak to an organizer.

If you know someone interested in our apprenticeship or any of the other building trades apprenticeship programs, we will be hosting an open house at the ETI on April 20th 10am to 1 pm with representatives from all of the union apprenticeship programs at the event. Call Jane Templin for details at (323) 221- 5881

Did you know?

IBEW local 11 is a founding member in the Los Angeles Apollo Alliance a new organization of Labor, Community, Environmental, and business organizations that are working to develop more good union jobs in green technologies and industries.