IBEW Local
Union
180 - Newsletter
Volume 2005, Issue 1 January 1st, 2006
SERVING NAPA AND
SOLANO COUNTIES SINCE
1901
Business Manager's Report
As
the New Year begins we must consider the Good, the Bad and some of the
Ugly of the past year and what we can expect in the years to come.
The Good….On the upbeat
side, we have signed several (over 13) Project Labor Agreements that
have long lasting projects to provide work for several years to
come. Some with expected 5 to 10 year build outs. Our work
with the area-wide LMCC also known as Mission 2000 has been extremely
productive in helping to gain market share. This has been
accomplished by several methods; working with the building trades and
local agencies, having pre-qualification of contractors required, and
other methods of securing work for our membership.
The Bad….Man-hours for the last year are projected to come
in at the lowest we have had for the last 5 years. But even with
this downside, we have a 5 year average of over 670,000 man hours per
year. This compares to the previous 5 year average of 462,000 man
hours. The growth per year for the fist 5 years was an average of
4% per year (1996—2000). For the last 5year period (2001—2005) we
have averaged an increase of 8% per year. So even with the low of
2005 we are still looking good. This local has always had years
of extreme highs and lows. One can look at the man-hours and see
years of 26% pluses from the previous year to negatives of 26% the
following year. With the exception of 2005 we have had a six year
run of increases every year. This is due to the good
fortune of having been able to aggressively go after developers, public
agencies and other methods of obtaining work. Man-hours are the
life-blood of our local. They provide resources to maintain the
ability to service our members, organized our industry, provide
benefits and all the other things we expect from our Brotherhood.
The Ugly…On the Ugly side, we have been frustrated by a
spring in which the weather was detrimental in the start of an
important project for the Local (Genentech). The delayed start of
the major part of the work has hurt us. The time and effort spent
to obtain a Project Labor Agreement on several projects that have been
bogged down due to legal challengers by those who think growth is
bad. The other truly ugly things are basically just the cycle of
life. We have lost some brothers and sisters and we have several
who are not as healthy as we would like them to be. It hurts us
all when we lose a friend, or have one who is in pain.
Life goes on and we are looking forward to an extremely good year.
Last reminder, Get Certified!!
The deadline for applications is
December 30th.
Bruce Gourley,
Business Manager
Congratulations
Kip & Melissa Campbell on the birth of daughter Alizé on
12/9 and to the proud grandparents Rich & Brenda Mattson.
Condolence
None!
BLOOD DRIVE
International
Brotherhood of Electrical BLOOD DRIVE
Thursday - January 12, 2006...4:00PM - 7:00PM
Location: Donor Mobile In Parking Lot
For Information or to Schedule Your Donation Appointment
Please Contact: Dan Broadwater (707) 251-9180 or
Sign-up online at www.bloodheroes.org (Sponsor Code = ibew)
Donors must have verifiable identification to donate.
Examples: California Driver’s License, Social Security Card or Student
Each Donor Will Receive a 2-for-1 Coupon for a Hornblower Cruise!
Please Eat and Drink Before Donating
Donate blood during the month of January and receive a 2-for-1
coupon for a Hornblower Cruise on the San Francisco Bay.
You can be a life preserver for someone in need.
Be a life preserver. Donate Blood.
Other News
Electrician Certification
IBEW LU 180 Motorcycle Club
Please attend if you are interested in becoming a founding
member. Contact Glen Flores at 257-3014 If you are unable
to attend and need information or have questions. The club has a
page on the web site for members to stay informed. NOTE: WINTER MEETs WILL BE HELD ON THE
SATURDAY FOLLOWING THE UNION MEETINGS.
Special points of interest:
Blood Drive
at the Union Hall on January 12 before the Union
Meeting. Please call to schedule an
appointment OR JUST SHOW UP and make sure you eat and drink before
donating.
Free Bar-B-Que
for people making a blood donation - all
others it is six dollars before the Union Meeting.
We start serving at 5:30
pm
and
end at 6:30
pm. Thanks to Tim Kelly, Mike Burrow, Rich
Mattson
and the other volunteers that make the
Bar-B-Que possible.
NEW YEARS
“An optimist stays up until midnight to see the new year in. A
pessimist stays up to make sure the old year leaves.”
Bill Vaughn
"With bounteous cheer, conclude the year. Be always at war
with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year
find you a better man."
Benjamin Franklin
SANTA’S
VISIT
On Saturday, December 10th, Santa made a hugely successful visit to the
Training Center. Over 100 large cookies were decorated by the
many children attending. The children also did a good job on
devouring the candies and other sweets. We have the
pictures that were taken of the children with Santa. You can come
to the next union meeting on January 12th and pictures will be
available to pick up.
LMCC REGULARLY SPONSORS
A “partial” list of local charities and events sponsored over the last
2 years.
Aldea Inc.
Dixon Boys & Girls Club
Dixon Education Foundation
Dixon Sober Grad Night
Child Start
Christmas Gifts for Children (Christian Help Center)
City of Vacaville (Local Charities)
City of Vallejo
Heather House
Fighting Back Partnership
Foster a Dream Foundation
Napa Babe Ruth Baseball League
Napa Emergency Women’s Services
Official Program Sponsor for Valero Energy Foundation
Playground “Fantastico” (Napa)
Vacaville Pony Association
Vacaville Boys & Girls Club
Platinum Sponsorship California Outlaw Racing Association for Children
Vallejo High School Baseball (Banner)
Vallejo PAL
Vallejo Symphony
Vallejo’s Times Herald Christmas Card
Vichy Parents Club (Napa)
THEY THANK EACH MEMBER OF LOCAL UNION 180 FOR THE SUPPORT
Retiree's Corner
The January meeting for the Retirees’ Club will be held on the SECOND
Wednesday, January 11. They are held at the Training Center at
12:30 P.M. All retirees and spouses are welcome. Widows of
retired members are encouraged to get involved.
7 NIGHTS
FALL FOLIAGE CRUISE ON THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER
With a choice of Two ways to get there, 1. Roundtrip Air October 15-22,
2006 2. Air on Outbound October 15-24, 2006 Amtrak on return.
A Deposit $300. Due at time of sign up. Final Payment Due -
July3, 2006.
Mail To: Ken Breckenridge, 220 Scenic Drive, Vallejo, CA 94591
Make Checks Payable To: Talbot Tours Trust Account
Call Ken Breckenridge for more info or attend a meeting. (707)
643-4139
Departure Point: Vallejo Elks Lodge, Redwood Parkway. Price Per
Person: {Prices Based on Senior Rates)
CRUISE CATEGORY / #1 Roundtrip Air / #2 Air on Outbound &
Amtrak on Return
“G” Large Inside / $2470 / $3085
“E” Outside Standard Semi Private Deck / $2820 / $3430
“D” Outside with Bay Windows / $3045 / $3655
“C” Outside Deluxe Semi Private Deck / $3155 / $3770
“A” Large Luxury Outside Private Balcony / $3495 / $4109
SAVE $50. per couple or $25. per person! Deposit 2/1/2006
(this discount will be taken off your final payment.)
From the Office:
Union Christmas Meeting a Smash!
After the well attended regular Union meeting the membership settled
down to a catered BBQ dinner and refreshments. The food was great
and the fellowship was better and we wish that more can attend next
year.
The Local Union is not your employer
Local 180 represents you and refers you to an employer.
Therefore, listing IBEW LU 180 as an employer on your credit
application may delay your approval. True, some companies
understand the world of construction and accept the information.
However, most get a bit upset with the fact we will not verify your
employment or employer. In fact - we release no information other
than the fact you are a member.
We can assist you in documenting your work history. Our software
tracks every employer you were dispatched to from this Local.
There will be missing time periods if you worked outside of the
local. Generally, the information goes back over five years and
can be printed to show hours, total pay and also the name and complete
mailing address of the employers.
The office can provide you a hard copy by mail or fax and an emailed
PDF file. This way you will have the information to fill out the
application or attach it. Just call or email (loril@ibewlu180.org
or mikes@ibewlu180.org) and we will get it out to you.
IF YOU HAVE MOVED
Please notify the office so we can keep your information up to
date. However, if we do not have a good address - then you should
not be getting this newsletter… Please remind your co-worker.
From
the Organizers:
Meeting with members considering going into business for themselves,
many of the same questions come up and pose food for thought when
deciding to become a contractor.
One of the issues that come up is purchasing and reselling
electrical supplies used on jobs. Most contractors realize they need to
make money on their labor, but they don’t always understand that making
money on the materials is crucial to the bottom line profit on any job.
Many members I’ve talked to think they can only put a minimal markup on
and do fine. What they don’t take into consideration is the time
involved ordering materials, whether on the phone, going to the
wholesale house, doing it on line or even purchasing at Home Depot. The
time involved also includes going over invoices to make sure you’re
paying the right price and getting discounts for prompt payment. All of
these issues necessitate a markup to compensate for time spent on any
particular job. In addition to the markup, you also need to remember to
include sales tax in the price as the state of California always wants
their 7.75%.
Another issue is the price of materials themselves and where to
buy them. Most contractors develop a relationship with at least one or
two suppliers and purchase exclusively from those vendors. Having more
than one supplier tends to make them more competitive and translates to
a better price overall. The second issue is that it gives the
contractor a “fall back” option when looking for a special item not
normally found in everyday stock. Delivery and customer support are
important considerations when developing a relationship with the supply
house. The cheapest price isn’t always the best deal if you have to
wait for materials or travel to purchase them.
Being a contractor requires looking at the overall project and
finding out ways to insure a profit. Materials are a necessary
requirement of the job and making money on them is every bit as
important as is making money on the
labor.
Rich Mattson & Skip Lucier
Organizers
JATC
GENERAL ELECTRICIAN CERTIFICATION CLASS
Canceled due to lack of interest.
California State Certification will take effect on January 1, 2006 with
no extension. It is important that all electricians have their
application processed NOW or there won’t be enough time to chose a test
date before the deadline.
HIGH FUEL PRICES HELP
“PV’S” FUTURE
Some interesting items to report on in the world of Photovoltaic “PV”
a/k/a Solar Energy…
On December 7, 2005 PG&E approved 369 PV projects totaling 49MW for
an industry value of $297,462,000.00 and 999,536 man-hours of work that
equal 500 full time jobs - just in PG&E area.
On December 19, 2005, Honda Motor Co. said it plans to start
mass-producing solar cells in 2007, eyeing growing demand for
environmentally friendly energy sources.
In January 2006, The state Public Utilities Commission is poised to
implement a $3.2 billion plan that provides financial incentives to
California residents and businesses to install solar panels over the
next 11 years.
A shortage of processed silicon used in photovoltaic cells has driven
up prices for solar power projects and caused construction delays, so
companies that design and sell solar electric systems have been trying
to lock in supplies from manufacturers.
Though increased demand for silicon chips in electronics --
particularly cell phones -- has contributed to the shortage, the real
culprit is runaway demand in Germany, Spain and Japan, where government
incentives encourage builders to use solar power.
Roseville Electric wants to require solar energy in some of the city's
thousands of new homes as soon as next spring, four years ahead of a
similar rule proposed by state legislators. Over the last two
months, the Dixon City Council has placed a requirement in developer
agreements for roughly 1,500 new homes that builders prep for solar
energy. Locally, most of the new government building are being,
or have been, built green and include PV.
Now that the Department of Energy predicts $50 a barrel oil as “normal”
PV PAYS!
UNION BUILT MEANS BETTER BUILT
You want a “ no-worry” electrical system installed in
your home Safe, reliable and guaranteed. Then you need an
electrical system installed by a union electrical contractor.
That’s right– UNION! A competent union electrical contractor who
employs qualified IBEW union electricians.
Each IBEW journeyman learns the trade through a 3 to
5 year Apprenticeship program. This extensive training combines
on–the-job practical experience with classroom theory and
testing.
And the training doesn’t stop there. Continuing education
constantly
up-dates the union electrician’s skills through programs sponsored by
the
IBEW and NECA the IBEW & NECA were instrument in establishing
mandatory
state Licensing in California. Why? Because we believe that our
work
is superior & we stand behind it! PROTECT YOURSELVES
Bruce Gourley, Business Manager
Updated 1/04/06 Copyright© 2006 IBEW L.U. 180
Information on this site has been approved
by the Business Manager and L.U. President
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