Business Manager’s Message — December 2021

Glad Tidings for the Holiday Season

Happy holidays to all our IBEW 11 family! 

2021 is shaping up to be a banner year, with the COVID economy winding down and construction revving up to make up for lost time. 

This is such a fun and lively time of the year, and the 2021 holidays will be especially festive with all the work we currently have and with more coming our way. In addition, our pension and medical plans are healthy, so Santa will be delivering lots of good cheer this year. 

I want to begin by thanking labor and the Biden administration for their vision in passing the $1 trillion infrastructure bill. After years of neglect, the country is sorely in need of rebuilding our infrastructure. California – and IBEW 11 members in particular — will be huge beneficiaries of that infrastructure money. A big shout-out to all our members and the AFL-CIO unions who made sure our elected officials voted for this landmark bill that will transform the landscape and create hundreds of thousands of work hours for years to come. 

In addition to over 100 projects in the L.A. area that will be funded by the bill, our members can look forward to over $1 billion in EV charging station work in California. I want to encourage each and every one of you to get EVITP certified. An Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Training Program certification will make you qualified for this work. The certification is offered through our very own ETI here in southern California, and ETI is the only place in the L.A. region that offers the certification.  

Much of that money will be used to complete projects that were already in the works but couldn’t be finished due to lack of funding. Now, thanks to the Biden administration, broadband and dozens of high-tech projects in need of our members’ skills will be coming your way. 

We have created an interactive map on our website so you can track where those infrastructure projects are located. Be sure to check it out at www.ibew11.org/Biden_infrastructure_projects and watch as the number of projects grow. 

IBEW 11 also has the honor of being labor’s voice on the LA County Just Transition Task Force, where I and other commissioners were appointed to help transition Los Angeles County to cleaner greener sources of energy, while maintaining and training for good union jobs. Stay tuned for more job opportunities coming out of that sector of our economy. 

More good news: the Los Angeles Convention Center is opening up for calls again, starting with the Auto Show. We have calls for more than 100 members to run power for the walkways, drops and lighting for vendors at the show, plus the tear down, when the show is over. Thanks to your union leadership, beginning January 1, 2022, the Convention Center will have a separate book for convention work, with no short calls or hours logged against you if you’re on that list. Convention calls are also a great training ground for our apprentices, who need training in the field. All classifications are welcome to sign the books. 

On a final note of good cheer, our pension plans are in good shape. They are currently 79% funded, so no additional funds will be taken out of your paychecks. The economy and good investments have helped us along. And your medical plans are also strong. Currently there is a 12-month reserve. 

As we recover from the impact of this COVID economy, there is much to look forward to in 2022. 

Wishing you and yours a joyous holiday and happy new year. As always, be safe and stay healthy. 

In Solidarity,

Joël Barton
IBEW 11 Business Manager

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