BTN News Affiliate Reports IBEW Local 441
| IBEW Local 441 |
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Douglas M. Chappell, Bus. Mgr. 
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During July and August, Local 441 held two training courses at our facilities aimed at educating our current members, signing new union employers, and attempting to grow a more solid footing in the union electrical contracting industry. One course was designed to educate our members interested in becoming contractors in how to be successful as a union employer. The other course introduced our union contractors and members to the alternative energy market. 2nd Renewable Energy & Solar Expo Because of the federal Energy Policy Act of 2005 and the California Solar Initiative enacted in 2006, we know there are huge opportunities available for California’s union contractors and our members. If we don’t train our members and make our contractors aware of the work available to them, someone else will be doing this work. John Schuck, our Training Director, hosted 120 electricians from all over Southern California at our 2nd Renewable Energy and Solar Power Expo at the Orange County Electrical Training Trust. Contractors and members from locals 441, 440, 477 and 11 learned with hands-on instruction from four experienced instructors provided by Conergy. Conergy is an international alternative energy company, whose United States operations are based in Sante Fe, New Mexico. The in-depth instruction in this two-day course introduced the attendees to this new market with alternative energy market overviews, business models, and systems design as well as installation techniques. Our members found out that this work is the same in many ways to the work that they are already trained to perform. They were made familiar with photovoltaic system safety, wiring methods, mounting systems, equipment grounding as well as an introduction to photovoltaic modules, inverters and other devices and methods common to these systems, and not in daily use for most electricians. We have some members already doing this work for their contractors, but we now have more members who have gained the knowledge and experience necessary to install these energy systems. 
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How to Become a Successful Union Electrical Contractor Many of the contractors that employ workers from our hiring hall are second generation IBEW members. Many of them have gone from our apprenticeship programs straight into the family business. Other have gone from working with the tools to becoming successful union contractors. Either way, risking your families’ home or life savings to start a business can be a frightening undertaking for the average worker and his family. Many of us know that we are good tradesmen, make a profit helping our contractors and we want our families to have a better life. It’s a natural progression to believe you can contract if others you know can. You have attended all the classes available, even graduated from the apprenticeship. But, what does it take to be successful and what are all of the things you need to know to be a contractor? Doug Chappell, recognizing that we have to expand our contractor base to keep up with all of the types of electrical work, wanted to answer those questions for our new contractors and those thinking about going into business. He knows that a successful union contractor employs more of his members. For that reason, Pro Union Consulting Inc. was invited to train our members. 
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Matt and Jim are very good speakers and were outstanding in keeping the interest of all the participants in this three-day event. The subjects were taught in an interactive style with encouragement to comment or ask questions at any time. Knowing Matt and Jim’s extensive and varied experience in the construction industry, we liked the idea of union members teaching other union members what they needed to know to be successful as union contractors. The guest speakers invited by Pro Union Consulting and David Lawhorn, our Director of Business Development, were from N.E.C.A., IBEW, an accountant, a lawyer, a banker, payroll service representatives, a new and successful union electrical contractor, an insurance company representative, a contractors license testing company, and others to give everyone the information necessary to begin their business with an overview of what it takes to be successful in the contracting business. Some of the subjects covered in the workshops included a business plan for success, start up costs, estimating, bidding, change orders as well as the importance of record keeping, business banking and corporate structure. Throughout the course, it was emphasized that networking as well as the relationships that a contractor has with customers and the union hall is very important to growing a successful business. All of the people in attendance were encouraged continuously to contact Matt and Jim after the course for any information they need to start their businesses. Hopefully, many of our members in attendance had some of their fears allayed, and will start their contracting businesses, bid some of the small work and niche work that is going begging to others, and this will help to employ several of our qualified and trained members. |
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