California
After a very busy and productive 2023, work slowed down substantially at the start of 2024. In addition to the wet winter, a change in work plans has reduced undergrounding compared to what we saw last year, and this shift proved to be a challenge to our members. However, with the reduction in undergrounding, we will soon see an uptick in the overhead fire-hardening work compared to last year. Contractors are understanding the footprint they will be working in for the year, and overhead fire-hardening work has been awarded across the jurisdiction. Additionally, the latest program addressing maintenance work also needs to be completed.
At the IBEW 1245 Grid of The Future conference earlier this year, a great deal of emphasis was placed upon the challenge of meeting the growing demand for renewable energy while simultaneously maintaining grid reliability. With the current and future EV mandates, the need to expand our current infrastructure has never been more critical, and it is necessary to build and improve the regional transmission grid. Expansion of the current grid will create both transmission and distribution jobs well into the future. With new jobs created by evolving technologies, the need for continued training is paramount.
IBEW Business Representatives from the Outside line locals attended the first National Lineman College Career Day of the calendar year. This gave us the opportunity to educate over 275 graduating students with information regarding the benefits of IBEW union membership. We spoke with NLC students to about JATC apprenticeship opportunities; the process of signing the books at IBEW; the benefits of union-backed labor; and other information that will help pave the way to a successful career with the IBEW.
The Fresno bi-monthly informational meetings continue to take place on the second Tuesday of every other month from 6pm to 8pm at Round Table Pizza at 5702 N. First St. The remaining meetings for this year will take place on May 14, July 9, Sept 10, and Nov 12. A mass text reminder will be sent out before each meeting. Please make time to attend the meeting if you’re in the area.
Nevada
Overall the work scope in Nevada is promising. Wasatch on NV Energy property continues to support Northern Nevada jurisdiction by supplying dock crews and supplemental linemen to support NVE crews in the Carson City, Reno, Fallon, Winnemucca, and Yerington yards. Transmission work in Silver Springs has concluded and those crews will be headed to Heybourne 113 line in the Carson City area. There are currently fiv sub techs that are supplementing NVE substation department as well. OMAG repairs and NDPP inspections are complete as of this quarter.
Wasatch on Liberty property continues to support Liberty Utilities in both North and South Lake Tahoe areas with dock crews and supplemental linemen.
Mountain Engineering finished up a 230KV rebuild on NVE property in the Yerington district. Mountain Engineering continues to gain work on NVE property with two different projects awarded to them. One of the projects is to rebuild Virginia City and the Lake Tahoe distribution infrastructure.
Summit Line Construction crews are currently finishing up a transmission project in Silver Springs area, and Summit Line was awarded all of the T-Line work on the Greenlink project. The Greenlink project will start in the Las Vegas area and work north.
The Substation portion of the Greenlink project has not been awarded yet. There are numerous distribution projects on NVE property that are also out for bid and will be awarded this quarter. Among them will be the OMAG work which includes all of the repair work for the NDPP inspections that have been completed on NVE property. There are also some 4KV conversions that are included in the bids.
The Idaho PUC approval is the last outstanding item before the SWIP-North project can move forward. Contractors have been approached for the General Contractor position. Subcontractors have reached out to the Local to become signatory in hopes of getting part of this work.
Safety First
The first Red Book quarterly safety meeting of the year covered a wide range of industry issues. Motor vehicle incidents (MVI) were the most common occurrence, as usual. With the continued weather that our jurisdiction has experienced, we must stay vigilant and prepared for the unexpected issues we face on the road, mainly with other drivers. Additionally, the use of cell phones has been a factor in several of the incidents discussed. Please keep the phone down while driving.
The Red Book subcommittee has reviewed the proposed changes to the Red Book. There will be at least one more meeting before the proposed changes will be voted on by the full committee. Once approved, we will print another batch of books. There were a couple of issues that will require a bigger discussion with all the major utilities — namely around grounding of the covered tree wire, as there are differences of opinion from utility to utility on how this needs to be performed to ensure compliance with OSHA standards. More to come.
Know the Rules
It’s important for all 1245 members as well as travelers to this Local to educate themselves on the rules and requirements of the IBEW Constitution, as well as Local agreements and safety rules for the areas you may be working in. Failure to understand these requirements could lead to charges filed for violations of these rules under Article XXV, Misconduct, Offenses and Penalties of the IBEW Constitution.
Apprentice privileges continue to be suspended to journeymen who are involved in unsafe work practices while having an apprentice on their crew. These suspensions are shared across the country to every JATC, as well as every Outside Line local, and won’t be lifted until the Journeymen involved in the incident meet with the trustees of the JATC where the incident occurred. This affects the journeymen’s ability to work, as there are few jobs that don’t have apprentices. As a Journeyman Lineman, it is your responsibility to train and mentor apprentices for the future of this trade and make sure they are being taught correctly, with safety at the forefront. Keep this in mind whenever you have an apprentice working with you.
Examining Committee
The 1245 Examining Committee has changed their meeting date to the first Tuesday of every month starting at 5pm at the 1245 Hall in Vacaville. The committee continues to be extremely busy dealing with issues related to safety or other wrongdoings by workers in the local’s jurisdiction. This is not a good trend, and we as a membership must do better. IBEW 1245’s dispatch policies state that if a member is discharged due to any safety violation, they will be placed on a dispatch hold until they meet with the Examining Committee to determine follow-up actions if needed. Everyone needs to stay focused on safety and quality; there is no room in this industry to work unsafely or perform substandard work that can potentially lead to a safety issue.
Community Outreach
We have been getting more involved in community outreach events such as school career days, climbing school visits, and labor festivals. If you have any events that you believe would mutually benefit from IBEW participation, please reach out.
Dispatch
IBEW 1245 dispatch office hours are 7am to 4pm and the last application will go out at 3:30pm. The dispatchers have returned to the dispatch office now that the remodel project is near completion. The improved dispatch lobby will aid in faster signing and processing of paperwork. A few additional items will be completed over the next couple of months. We will be adding monitors to show open calls and a kiosk to fill out applications.
When arriving at the union hall to sign or re-sign the books, members will be prompted to fill out a half-sheet of paper that includes name, email address and phone number. Please write clearly, as that is the only way to get your application to you. Information that is incorrect or illegible will delay the process. When uploading documents, please make sure you are sending us the most current and valid information. Please do not re-enter Dispatch until you receive an email to do so. If you have any questions, please call our main office number 707-452-2700.
First quarter dispatch numbers:
- 64 Apprentice Lineman calls
- 202 Groundman calls
- 24 Flagger calls
- 81 Line EQ Man calls
- 29 Fab Tech calls
- 7 Cable Splicer calls
- 77 Sub Tech calls
- 398 Journeyman Lineman calls
Total year-to-date calls for 2024 = 908
We currently have 447 on the Lineman book 1 and 2, and 1,526 on the Groundman books.
LaborPower Mobile App
IBEW Local 1245’s LaborPower app allows members to check their position on the books, update contact info, pay dues, and more. You can find it in the app store of your mobile device.
Cal-Nev JATC
Apprentice report as of March 5, 2024:
- 606 outside line apprentices registered in the Cal/Nev JATC program
- 0 traveling apprentices in Cal/Nev’s jurisdiction
- 186 apprentices working out of Local 1245
- 245 working out of Local 47
- 36 working out of Local 396
- 101 unemployed
- 18 suspended, 14 on medical hold and 6 on a leave
- 12 apprentices graduated to Journeyman Lineman in 2023
- 0 new apprentices indentured in Outside Line in 2023
The Cal/Nev JATC typically opens up the lineman apprenticeship application process each spring, but with work being slow and 101 apprentices not working, the next application window will be postponed. If you’re considering applying, please review the Cal-Nev JATC requirements for applying at www.calnevjatc.org.
CPR & First Aid
CPR and First Aid classes are scheduled for the second Friday of every month at the Woodland and Riverside facilities. If you are interested and want to sign up for this class, visit www.calnevjatc.org. Click on the Web Services tab, then Class Schedule. If you do not already have a web account with the JATC, you will need to create one. Class availability is based on first-come, first-served basis.
Injured Workers Fund
The balance of the injured workers fund as of March 31, 2024 was $966.853.84. In the three months prior, the fund paid out $313,000.00 in disability payments. The Summary Plan Description (SPD) and Application can be found on the union’s website at https://ibew1245.com/ outside-line-injured-workers-fund/
New Organizing
The following contractors have organized with 1245 this quarter:
California Outside Line Construction Agreement
- 1884 Line Co.
- Allteck USA LLC
- Bragg Investment Company
- Cooper Energy Services, Inc.
- Hi-Power Energy, LLC
- B. Abel, Inc.
- Intren West, LLC
Construction Coordinator & Inspector Agreement
- Pro-tech Power Group Inc.