Welcome back to another round up of IBEW Hour Power. This news brief is covering the 1st quarter of 2016. First we will cover the work of IBEW Local 1908 and Florida Light and Power at the Astronaut Hall of Fame, IBEW Local 969 and Mesa State University, and of course IBEW Local 449 and their work at the Portneuf Wellness Center in Pocatello, ID.
Watch now!
Transcript – Q1 News Brief
IBEW Hour Power – 1st Quarter News Brief
Hello. Thanks for being here and welcome to another edition of IBEW Hour Power News Briefs. I’m Vic Lombardi.
Today on the program something that been around for some time – the relationship between the IBEW and higher education.
We’ll show you something brand new – a training facility in Idaho.
And in Florida, we’ll show you how IBEW linemen gave a helping hand to the space program.
It all starts now on IBEW Hour Power.
Everyone knows the great work our linemen do all around America every day. But there was pretty unusual request.
When the space shuttle mock up “Inspiration” was moved from its home outside the astronaut hall of fame, the tail was too tall to sneak under the nearby high tension lines.
Enter Florida Power and Light and a crew from IBEW Local 1908 to help with the solution. Our guys de-energized the lines and lowered them to the ground, so the trailer transporting the shuttle could drive over them…and out onto the highway.
The shuttle was given by NASA to a company called LVX, which took it down the road, loaded it to a barge, and will re-configure the inside to become a floating classroom. …a classroom that will demonstrate LVX technology which transmits data through photons of light, replacing wifi or Ethernet.
Here is yet another great IBEW example of doing great work and being asked back to do more.
Local 969 in Grand Junction, CO is thankful for it’s relationship with Mesa State University and their contractors for steady work. Currently, Local 969 is on the third phase of putting in new dorms at the college.
Robert Saunders – Journeyman Electrician Local 969
“We are in the ruffing phase right now, setting boxes, blasting holes through wood running romax wire…”
Jon Stevens – Membership Development Coordinator Local 969
“We have been on the job about four months and we are hoping to get everything done before the fall semester.
“We have ridge electric here on site and they have made a good name for themselves here at the university and it’s helped us land a bunch of work. We have a great relationship with Asset the general contractor and that’s also helped us land work here.”
No matter the project, you always find IBEW workers who love what they do.
Robert Saunders – Journeyman Electrician Local 969
“I love the IBEW It provides a decent living for me and my family here in our town. It’s nice to have a knowledgeable trade I can go anywhere in the country.”
Avery Tolle – IBEW Local 969
“I love it, I really love this trade. I always have. The scale of projects that we are working on is really cool; I get to think every day. I have fun coming to work every day.”
Work is really taking off in the western slope for local 969. And their apprenticeship has tripled to accommodate their goal to grow their membership even more in 2016. The eastern Idaho electrical JATC in Pocatello is hosted by a relatively small IBEW local union, Local 449.
Members have to step up and meet the challenges of an ever-changing industry in such a diverse work environment.
The new facility opened just two years ago and they went from a two thousand square foot layout to a twelve thousand square foot facility with acreage
There are 65 apprentices in their program and with a larger facility they can now implement some much needed training that help them be more competitive.
John Baker – Training Director, Eastern Idaho Electrical JATC
“One thing that we are really proud of the recent investment in our welding program. We have built six welding booths, seven machines. We can teach on all the processes of welding. We saw that we were possibly losing work in the welding department so we wanted to recapture that work.
“The second thing that I really am proud of as far as our training center and our union goes is our membership. They give our apprentices a sense of pride and they understand they are bigger then something other than themselves, they are all working together. When you get 5 or 6 hundred guys with the same goals in mind it’s a great thing to be a part of.”
That will do it for this edition of News Briefs. Do you have a story that you think should be included in our next edition? Send us an email at info@ibewhourpower.com. It may be included in our future news briefs! And if you like this video, be sure to share it with a friend.
Until next time, I’m Vic Lombardi.
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