NECA/IBEW Local 48 Honor Diversity

Since the 1900’s, Oregon-Columbia NECA and IBEW Local 48 have celebrated in its diversity and worked to make diversity an integral part of doing business.

This commitment to diversity, both past and present, is showcased in NECA-IBEW Local 48’s latest video, and in the upcoming exhibit, “NECA/IBEW Local 48: 100 Years of a Powerful Partnership” being shown this summer at the Oregon Historical Society.

The Oregon Historical Society exhibit will run from May 13 to August 4, 2013. Chronicling the success of NECA/IBEW Local 48

and its achievements, the exhibit will include in-depth information on NECA/IBEW Local 48’s strides in diversity and other industry practices, artifacts, historic photos and a time-line.

NECA/IBEW Local 48 encourages you to bring your family and friends to check out the exhibit this summer. Multnomah County residents get in for free.

The diversity video features several NECA-IBEW Local 48 members, including Keith Edwards, Donna Hammond, Bridget Quinn, Maurice Rahming and Sonja Rheaume. Two local companies are also highlighted, Oregon Electric Group and Tice Electric. The video was shared at the national meeting of the Electrical Workers Minority Caucus in Houston, Texas, and can be found on the partnership website at www.NECAIBEW48.com.

As NECA/IBEW Local 48 celebrates its past and looks forward to the future, diversity remains a vital goal.

www.NecaIbew48.com

In This Issue

Pg. 2 IBEW’s History of Diversity

Pg. 3 Building and Engaging a Diverse Workforce

Pg. 5 Electrical Safety During Warmer Weather

In the electrical construction industry, we work diligently to assist all contractors who seek assistance in reaching their ultimate goal of opening and operating their own business.

Several NECA members of our Chapter are minority, women-owned, or emerging businesses who are successfully plotting their growth in a very dynamic industry. NECA has

a strong management education platform through our National NECA Management Education Institute. The MEI has over 100 business, technical and management training courses, essential to every contractor’s success in the electrical construction industry. Our education calendar for 2013 has a full complement

of these courses to assist each and every NECA contractor and their employees.

•BasicEstimating•AdvancedEstimating•ChangeOrders•AdvancedProjectManagement•Pre-ConstructionPlanning•SurvivingToday’sOSHA•LienLaw&SubcontractIssues•StrategicPlanning

The electrical industry is enriched by our broad diversity in our workforce, both in the field and in our management ranks as well. We celebrate our best by encompassing acceptance of our diversity and recognizing and respecting our individual differences.

NECA Supports Today’s Diverse WorkforceBy: Tim Gauthier, NECA Executive Manager

www.NecaIbew48.com

2

As part of the 100th Anniversary celebration, we focus each month on a new theme representing what makes IBEW Local 48 stand out amongst its peers. Our most recent topic was diversity, which also coincided with Black History Month.

In my 25 years as a Local 48 member, I have seen many changes within our

Local. I am proud that today we have a membership that more closely reflects our community than it did when I first started. I believe this reflects the core values of today’s members, along with a history rich in diversity firsts.

For example, did you know during World War II Local 48 membership swelled to 21,000? More importantly, a high percentage of those members were women and people of color. In fact, during this time Local 48 was deemed “by far, the most racially integrated” of surveyed Unions. In 1952, Mark Smith, Local 48 electrician, was appointed to the highest office ever achieved in Oregon by a person of color. Marie Gleason, Local 48 member,was the first woman in her industry to qualify for an IBEW pension. And of course, current International Representative Keith Edwards made history when he became the first person of color to be appointed to and elected as Business Manager of an Inside Local 48.

Diversity is not limited to race, but can be found among our differences in trade. We have public employees, maintenance workers, broadcast industry members, panel fab, service van, industrial, residential and many other types of workers that comprise Local 48.

It is with this solid foundation and history that Local 48 remains true to its roots and celebrates its diverse membership. As we grow more diverse, I am sure we will grow even stronger as an industry.

IBEW’s History of DiversityBy: Gary Young, IBEW Business Manager

“I am proud that today we have a membership that more closely reflects our community than it did when I first started.”

100 Years of a Powerful Partnershipat the Oregon History Museum

May 13th - Aug 4th Mon-Sat: 10am-5pmSunday: Noon-5pm HISTORY MUSEUM

AT THE OREGON HISTORICAL SOCIETY

www.NecaIbew48.com

3

In March of 2010, the NECA-IBEW Electrical Training Center hired Bridget Quinn, Journeyman Inside Wireman, as the Workforce Development Coordinator. The training center is committed to making people more aware of apprenticeship opportunities, including the younger generation, women who might otherwise overlook a male-dominated career option, or minorities who may view construction as an unwelcoming industry.

The outreach work at the Training Center has had several main components. Connecting with every woman and minority who walks through the door and applies to the apprenticeship is essential. Every time applications are accepted, the Workforce Development Coordinator connects the women and minority applicants with support groups – the Electrical Workers Minority Caucus, Women of Local 48, and Oregon Tradeswomen, Inc. They are offered guidance throughout the entire application process. Those who do not pass the aptitude test, or who rank poorly in the interview, receive tips on making themselves a better candidate for the program, and are encouraged to take the steps to reapply. They are often referred to pre-apprenticeships, such as Oregon Tradeswomen, Inc., and Constructing Hope. They are shown how to obtain entry-level jobs within the

electrical industry so that when they reapply they are more qualified. Being present for those who are interested in the electrical trade, showing that they are supported by the Training Center and that their demographic is a vital part of our industry, can encourage and motivate these applicants to persevere in their work to become accepted as an apprentice.

The Training Center presents workshops and informational orientations in partnership with Oregon Tradeswomen and Constructing Hope. These “Wire-A-Light” workshops are geared toward participation from minority communities. Each workshop day, two workshops are held at Constructing Hope’s facility, either in the evening or on the weekend – one for women of color and one for men of color. Information is provided about the trade,

Building and Engaging a Diverse WorkforceBy: Bridget Quinn, Workforce Development Coordinator

“Connecting with every woman and minority who walks through the door and applies to the apprenticeship is essential.”

www.NecaIbew48.com

4

how to qualify and apply, and then a hands-on segment where they try out the tools and wire a simple circuit. Women and people of color who are current apprentices offer their personal perspective and talk about their experience in the trade and in the apprenticeship.

In addition to the off-site workshops, local high schools and pre-apprenticeship programs bring their classes on field trips to the Training Center to learn about the trade and to take part in the hands-on workshop.

Every year the NECA-IBEW Electrical Training Center hosts Oregon Tradeswomen, Inc.’s Women in Trades Career Fair, which is a vital part of the entire construction industry’s outreach approach. For three days, the Training Center becomes the epicenter of a multitude of workshops held by various building trades. These workshops offer insight into the industries to countless middle school and high school girls, as well as adult women.

While it is difficult to see past the economic slump and the hundreds of unemployed construction workers in recent years, we need to keep our eyes open to the future outlook and the challenges we face as an industry. Hiring is steadily increasing alongside technological advancements that require a skilled workforce. Couple that with the lack of interest or awareness about the building trades within our young people, and the retirements of the baby boomer generation, and we can see

that our industry is facing a serious skilled worker shortage. The demographics of our population is roughly fifty-percent female and close to one-quarter minority. Even if we bid and win jobs, those jobs cannot be completed without a trained workforce. Recruiting women and minorities into our industry is critical, as is ensuring a welcoming environment so that those who are recruited are also retained and succeed in becoming Journey Workers.

In June 2012, the NECA-IBEW Electrical Training Center’s apprenticeship enrollment was 13% minority and 13.3% female. Compare that to the open shop apprenticeship with 8.7% minority and 3% female enrollment.* As employees of NECA contractors, we know that encouraging and fostering apprentice enrollment across Oregon and Washington’s entire population is smart business practice. As IBEW brothers and sisters, we can be proud these numbers represent a good start, and know that as a union we strive to show that our Constitution’s Declaration is a meaningful cause rather than simply a statement.

The creation of a full-time position to address the future workforce of our industry as well as membership diversity is a testament to the forward thinking of the NECA-IBEW Electrical Training Trust, NECA, and IBEW Local 48.

*Open shop data collected from Bureau of Labor & Industries for December 2011.

Building and Engaging a Diverse Workforce (Continued...)

“As IBEW brothers and sisters, we can be proud of these numbers as a good start, and know that as a union we strive to show that our Constitutionʼs Declaration is a meaningful cause rather than simply a statement.”

www.NecaIbew48.com

5

As warmer weather approaches, families begin finding ways to keep cool using air conditioners and fans of all sorts.

But did you know that statistics from the National Fire Protection Association and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reveal just how hazardous electricity can be to your health and household.

Between 1994 and 1998, there were an average of 406,700 residential fires per year, and approximately 69,000, or 17%, of which were related to electrical distribution or appliances and equipment. Another 42,700, or 10.5%, were related to heating and air conditioning systems. These combined to cause an average of 860 deaths, 4,785 injuries and nearly $1.3 billion in property damage annually.

Additionally, 170 of the 440 total accidental electrocutions in 1999 in the U.S. were related to consumer products in and around the home, and approximately 8,700 people were treated for electric shock injuries related to consumer products in the U.S. in 2000.

Following these simple electrical safety steps can help ensure you and your family enjoy the warm spring and summer season.

Knowyourlimitsandinspectyourequipment

Circuit breakers inside your electrical panel are designed to limit the amount of current flowing on the wires routed within your walls, attics and crawlspaces. Even with these protective devices, a circuit that is nearing capacity will generate heat. This condition can lead to a potential fire hazard due to arcing, primarily at any loose electrical connections at wall outlets or at extension cord coupling points. Avoid overloading electrical circuits and inspect all wall outlets, power strips and extension cords to ensure that tight connections are made with all electrically powered equipment or decorations.

If you intend to use portable appliances outdoors, check them to see if they are rated for such use. Only use lights and other electrical decorations that have been certified by a recognized

independent testing laboratory, such as UL, ETL or CSA. Follow all manufacturers’ directions when hanging lighting strings and always replace any blown fuses with those having identical ratings.

Avoidshockingsituations

The 2011 National Electrical Code requires Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCIs) to be installed in areas where a person could more easily receive an electrical shock—damp or wet locations. If you are planning to use outside outlets that do not provide this type of protection, consider hiring a licensed electrician to install an inexpensive GFCI breaker or outlet for you. Portable, in-line GFCI devices are also available. These devices plug into a standard wall outlet and provide GFCI protection on all downstream equipment.

Extension cords should be used only on a temporary basis and should be inspected prior to use. Verify that all three prongs are present on male cord ends, and never modify or break off the third prong to make it useable on a 2-wire outlet. Keep all plugs and connections off the ground and avoid stretching them over locations where they may get wet, including indoor and outdoor use.

Finally, as in every season, have working smoke alarms installed on every level of your home, test them monthly and keep them clean and equipped with fresh batteries at all times. Remember to develop and practice your home emergency escape plan.

Electrical Safety During Warmer WeatherBy: Barry Moreland, Safety Director

www.NecaIbew48.com

6

Inland Electric was established in 2000 by husband and wife Craig and Laurie Benjamin, originally in Hillsboro. But shorty after they opened, they found there was also a big need for electricians in the coastal communities.

“We got a lot of calls from people on the coast having a hard time finding a company in the area who knew the latest technology,” said Laurie. “So we opened the Seaside office and worked with manufacturers and the service industry on projects like installing cooling systems in groceries and installing solar panels.”

As their company grew, Laurie and Craig always considered themselves a part of the team and often worked alongside their employees. When Craig passed in 2011, Laurie said her employees were very supportive and waited for her to decide what

she was going to do with the company.

“I was always going to take over the company,” said Laurie. “My employees have stayed with me and helped me keep Inland Electric going.”

Over the last two years, Laurie has tried taking Inland Electric in a new direction – looking for smaller jobs while they gain more field experience with emerging technologies. While still focusing on commercial and industrial service work, they do have a dedicated union residential electrician.

As someone who went through the daunting and difficult process of becoming a certified woman-owned business, Laurie knows it can be hard to recruit women and other minorities into the electrical field.

“I think there needs to be more outreach programs aimed at high school students,” said Laurie. “I also think they should focus more on where the electrical field can take you, such as program

With electricians in the family—his father and older brother—it was natural that Andy Boles was drawn to the electrical field, though he first studied physics and math with an interest in Electrical Engineering.

“It’s important for those in the electrical field to have a diverse set of skills and a familiarity with several different fields, to increase an individual’s capacity to communicate and to cross-

pollinate among different industries,” said Andy. “Focusing on personal innovation is also so essential to any type of organization.”

Andy is a journeyman who has been with Inland Electric for six years. Before Inland, he went through his apprenticeship with another coastal-based electric company.

Because Inland Electric has offices in both Hillsboro and Seaside, Andy has worked on a variety of projects and has enjoyed bringing technologies that are used in Portland, such as solar, to the coastal communities.

“We’ve done work with the U.S. Coast Guard in Tillamook and Astoria, Heritage Square in Astoria, the Portland Police Department and Yahoo!,” said Andy. “We do a lot of diverse work, more than people think. Most assume that coastal communities include just residential work, but being able to draw on the resources and technology from the Hillsboro office, we expand our expertise.”

NECA/IBEW 48 thanks Andy Boles for his commitment to his community and trade.

Company Spotlight: Inland Electric

Employee Spotlight: Andy Boles

www.NecaIbew48.com

7

IBEWStarlightParadeParticipationJune 1

NECAAdvancedProjectManagementSeminarJune 20

IBEWGeneralMembershipMeetingJune 26

IBEW48SummerPicnicJuly 14

NECABasicEstimatingSeminarJuly 22 - 25

NECAGolfTournamentJuly 26

NECAAdvancedEstimatingSeminarJuly 29 - 30

Upcoming Events