International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 302 Business Manager Tom Hansen joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast and explained how pro-union legislation enacted by the State of California and local governments has impacted union members.
There are over 1,400 active members of Local 302, whose jurisdiction covers Contra Costa County.
Hansen spoke about the benefits of having a union-friendly government on all levels and credited the Local’s consistent growth, in part, to the passage of pro-union legislation. The labor-friendly legislation has created an impressive work outlook for most unions, which he called a “Disneyland for union work.” This has created plenty of jobs for the county’s roughly 85,000 union members
He then discussed the growth of Local 302 and how they focus on diversity and inclusion. Approximately 62 percent of all Contra Costa union members are a minority or female, he explained. Hansen said the Local’s leaders have made plans to nearly double their current apprenticeship numbers in the next five years.
Based on the current work forecast, there are plentiful work opportunities for apprentices. Many projects either underway or on the books will be built under a Project Labor Agreement. Hansen said PLAs with the solar energy sector will require about 60 percent of the electricians who work on these projets to have completed a registered apprenticeship program. This means Local 302 will handle nearly all the solar work coming into Contra Costa County.
There is also a PLA to redevelop the Naval Weapons Station. This project is expected to last between 30 and 40 years and come with a $6 billion price tag.
Listen to the entire episode to learn more about these topics.