Find out how unions are preparing construction industry workers for the careers of tomorrow in this special section supported by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.
Armed with power tools and kind hearts, members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) and hundreds of building trades craftsmen literally change lives once a year in April. "Neighbors helping neighbors" is a simple mission but an appropriate one as the nonprofit organization Rebuilding Together San Diego blends the generosity of volunteers and the passion of the business community to improve the living conditions of our neighbors in need.
Dynalectric Company San Diego, a leading provider of complex, fully integrated design-build electrical services, has completed the installation of electrical systems for North Island Credit Union's six-story, 135,000-square-foot headquarters building at 5897 Copley Drive in Kearny Mesa, according to Channey Doud, executive vice president for Dynalectric San Diego.
The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) desired to help America's servicemen and women who after being honorably discharged were in need of a career, not just a job. Through the nationally recognized Helmets to Hardhats program, the IBEW was partnered with two such candidates from San Diego, retired U.S. Navy Lt. Commander Ken Dianovich and U.S. Navy (ES) Courtney Taggart.
On March 20, a broad coalition of community leaders held a press conference to announce their campaign to hold accountable San Diego officials who will be making decisions on how the recently enacted federal stimulus package will be spent in our local communities. The event was held at Hoover High School, a recipient of $20 million from President Barack Obama's Recovery Act and one of the 180 schools slated to benefit from Proposition S spending.
Last year, the members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 569 purchased a building in Imperial Valley to make a permanent home for their union hall. At the same time, IBEW Local 569, along with the electrical contractors that are a part of the San Diego Chapter of the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA), decided to invest significant resources in a new campus for the electrical apprenticeship program they jointly administer.
Andre Johnson started his electrical apprenticeship in 1995. Johnson credits this five-year apprenticeship, when he worked in the field with other union electricians with "hundreds of years of combined experience" and studied in the classroom with "smart and dedicated instructors," as being the most valuable part of his growing success as an electrical contractor.
San Diego is known as a military town, and many returning veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces have found educational opportunities and middle-class careers through the electrical apprenticeship program. The electrical apprenticeship program at the San Diego Electrical Training Center is jointly administered by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 569 and the San Diego Chapter of the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA). With one campus in San Diego County and another in Imperial County, the center is the premier provider of work force training and development for electricians in the region, and is recognized throughout North America for excellence in education.
"Construction: Working Without a Healthcare Net," a study recently released by the Center on Policy Initiatives, found that construction workers are more likely than workers in any other industry statewide to be chronically uninsured.
The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW 569) recently hosted San Diego's first industry Solar Seminar at the San Diego Electrical Industry Training Center. The seminar was geared toward the highly trained IBEW electrician as well as the experienced NECA electrical contractor, and provided an intense two-day hands-on training.
Apprenticeship has long been recognized as the best alternative to the typical college education, and is considered the other four-year degree to success. With 400 guests and a long list of dignitaries -- including Congresswoman Susan Davis looking on -- 53 men and women graduated from the Inside Wireman and Sound Technician programs from the San Diego Electrical Training Center.
Union membership helps raise workers' pay and narrow the income gap that disadvantages minorities and women.
"Green technology can translate into big savings on electricity. Our cutting-edge training drives technology implementation in the region's electrical industry. We've been researching, teaching and working with our signatory contractors implementing energy saving and electrical generation technologies for years. Whether it is designing and retrofitting a commercial lighting system, making your office energy-smart, overhauling complete building energy management systems or implementing generation capacity, green technology is familiar ground for us."
Are PSAs legal for public agencies?
The PLA creates competition -- it doesn't restrict. In fact, had I known that we would've had the success that we've had today, I would have had the project labor agreement much earlier.
Many high school seniors are not as sure about their summer plans as Mira Mesa High School student Kevin Rodill. This summer, Rodill will start his electrical apprenticeship at the San Diego Electrical Training Center. He was introduced to and applied to the union apprenticeship program this academic year, when he was a part of an innovative physics program at Mira Mesa High School.
"Why did they do that us?"
Find out how unions are preparing construction industry workers for the careers of tomorrow in this special section supported by the National Electrical Contractors Association.
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