Trade Union Apprenticeship Opportunities Hinge on Wind Project Approval

public informationThis is a press release from the Operating Engineers Local #3.Please remember that this is not neutral reporting but a press release from one side of a situation:

The Redwood Empire Electrical Training Trust Announces Local Apprenticeship Opportunity

The Redwood Empire Electrical Training Center and Apprentice Program will be re-opened, if the Humboldt Wind Project is approved by the Board of Supervisors next week.

The Humboldt Wind Project will not only provide local jobs, it will also create an opportunity for local residents to participate in the apprenticeship program without having to drive out of the area for training,” said John McEntagart, Business Manager of IBEW Local 551. “The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 551 and the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) Redwood Empire Chapter are fully committed to re-opening our training facility in Eureka and offering that apprenticeship opportunity to the community.”

The Electrical Apprentice Program is jointly run by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 551 and the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) Redwood Empire Chapter, and serves the Marin, Sonoma, Lake, Mendocino, Humboldt, and Del Norte counties.

For over 70 years the electrical apprenticeship program has provided a debt-free pathway for men and women to earn a living wage while learning the electrical trade. The 5-year program offers not only a livable wage but also full health benefits for the entire family, a retirement pension, and an average annual salary of $100,00.00 upon graduation from the program, all with no college debt.

There had been an apprenticeship office in Eureka; however, due to economics and lack of available work in the area that office had to be closed,” said John McEntagart. “If the Humboldt Wind is approved, there would be up to 300 construction jobs to build the project—giving reason to re-open the training facility.”

The Humboldt Wind Project would build up to a 155 MW wind farm south of Scotia along Bear and Monument Ridges. Once built, the project would serve Humboldt County’s energy needs.

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Captain Crunch
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Captain Crunch
4 years ago

Approve this!

Bryan
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Bryan
4 years ago
Reply to  Captain Crunch

Couldn’t agree with you more!

local observer
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local observer
4 years ago

lets be honest, young adults don’t want to work for whatever reasons. this is nationwide, even where there are not enough contractors to fill the work demand. the US is booming in certain areas if some are not aware.

Katherine S Nickels
Guest
4 years ago

🌳🕯There still coming.

DELLIB
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DELLIB
4 years ago

Political manipulation! Stop the wind project at all costs! Terra Gen could not get local approval of this horrendous project so they had to side with a labor union? How insane is this project going to be rammed? The idea keeps smelling worse and worse. Go away with your giant propellers! I am usually a right conservative, but on this wind project I am a protesting hippie! They want to farm new birds for all the dead birds the turbines kill? What does a “farmed” bird do in nature? What about the two towns of people directly affected by the low frequency vibrations these monstrosities emit day and night? To me, this shows how little the enviro wackoes really care about people and the environment to ram a green agenda.

Canyon oak
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Canyon oak
4 years ago

Dank Snak
I Need To TAke A Bong Rip

Government Cheese
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Government Cheese
4 years ago
Reply to  Canyon oak

Merry Christmas

No thanks
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No thanks
4 years ago

We have put economy over ecology at nearly every turn since the industrial revolution. No more.

Vote the bums out
Guest
Vote the bums out
4 years ago

This smacks of desperation on Terra-Gen’s part. Why won’t they just go away and leave our ridgetops in peace? Why did the Supes bend over backwards for them and schedule a special meeting only 9 days before Christmas (from 9-5 when most folks are at work and can’tattend)? (Tax breaks for Terra-Gen if they get approved before 2020). This entire thing has been fast-tracked to the benefit of an out of town developer. Why didn’t Estelle Fennell hold a single Town Hall meeting in Rio Dell or Scotia to hear how residents felt about this project? Why didn’t she attend the community meeting last June at the Winema Theater? Estelle Fennell has not been representing the towns in her district fairly and she deserves to be voted out of office. She clearly intends to sell us out to corporate interests. Watch out, because the next turbine project might be in YOUR backyards.

Jesus, Chris
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Jesus, Chris
4 years ago

Terra Gen is truly desperate, now, and clearly, this press release is appealing to the wrong crowd…

“We will give an apprenticeship, to the lucky winner, if you let us spoil pristine landscape, kill wildlife, and dump concrete which we will never clean up”, please please please “let us build ugly windmills that won’t solve anyone’s energy needs in the short or long term, help with PG&E PSPS’s, or benefit anybody, except the corporations we will sell carbon credits to…” and “we will maybe bring a job to Humboldt, train some kid to build our toys”…

Terra Gen has hired the worst public relations people, is remarkably disrespectful of locals, and by this announcement, has clearly indicated that they will do anything, say anything at all, if you will just let them destroy this site.

Obviously, they think you are stupid! The fact that they are still fighting indicates that they thought they paid off enough people to ran this through!

Don’t let them disrespect you! The project is wrong, in the wrong place, and the company is lying about everything! This ploy is incredibly bad politics!

Get real Terra Gen!

Protest this project! Go to the supervisors meeting and quash this mess for good!

cu2morrow
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cu2morrow
4 years ago
Reply to  Jesus, Chris

you hired by the Bear river band ?

Jesus, Chris
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Jesus, Chris
4 years ago
Reply to  cu2morrow

Nope! I only work for myself!

Reject Rex Bhon for Reelection
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Reject Rex Bhon for Reelection
4 years ago

Don’t forget that this boondoggle was brought to us by Rex Bhon. I would not be surprised that he has is getting campaign funds for this project being that it’s an election year and he wouldn’t know a conflict of interest if it bit him in his ass. He’s as shady as they come and there was a reason why these projects are fast-tracked during the afternoon because they don’t want the average person there to be involved. The good old boys got you covered!

Anon
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Anon
4 years ago

This seems shady.

Steve Parr
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4 years ago
Reply to  Anon

Considering that only 15% of Humboldt County’s construction workforce is Union, (not sure what percentage of that is electricians), and they’ll be competing with larger, more experienced Union contractors from out of the area, I’m not sure how many Electrical Apprentices would be needed.

Out of the 300 available jobs, Humboldt will be lucky to get ten, or fifteen, which, if it’s an electrical contractor who gets a contract, would hardly justify re-opening the program, and if it’s not an electrical contractor, wouldn’t justify it at all.

Let’s get real, boys. It’s not like this project is going put a bunch of us to work.

Sean hamilton
Guest
4 years ago
Reply to  Steve Parr

You have no idea what your talking about… unions have guidelines only allowing 2 outside employees before they have to pick up a local, that’s in general sometimes negotiations go better!!! And for you trade Haters out there there is plenty of skilled hands locally to execute this project….

Reject Rex Bhon for Reelection
Guest
Reject Rex Bhon for Reelection
4 years ago
Reply to  Sean hamilton

If that was the case then why is there limited sources for experienced assistance in this county as well as the local economy taking a nosedive with no professionals in this area? Further I believe you haven’t paid attention to how things work in America where big corporations come in make lots of promises and then extract everything they can with outsiders while ignoring the local population destroying the environment. They drink our milkshakes!

Sid Berg
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Sid Berg
4 years ago

The Climate Change Crusaders have mandated no more fossil fuel in our future, Nuclear is nonsense, damn dams are detrimental, batteries are made of deadly material, and just bad, and solar panels create shade, which is detrimental to sun loving critters. Solar will not work at night, which also poses a slight problem. Humboldt County has two things going for it that could significantly help sustain it’s ability to economically exist. An undeveloped world class deep water port, and a surplus of wind. When we finally find a company willing to spend the money to develop sustainable green wind energy, we fight it? Construction unions have spent millions in training highly educated craftspeople in this area over decades,(at no cost to taxpayers) but without jobs, they have very few opportunities to remain here and raise families. Without adequate health insurance reimbursement, many doctors and nurses are leaving the area and without a tax base generated by good jobs, government services such as police and fire are underfunded, and crime spikes. It is not a perfect world, but it seems to me, the positive outweighs the negative in this project, and I would hope the majority of the community would come out to support this project. Humboldt County, the State, and the world needs it!

another guest in the wall
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another guest in the wall
4 years ago
Reply to  Sid Berg

nothing will fix this overnight, especially a whole Lotta promises from a thief in the night.

lose the llc and tell me you’ll love me forever.

Katherine S Nickels
Guest
4 years ago

🕯🌳Another dark not promiser.🖖

Chuck Chuck
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4 years ago
Reply to  Sid Berg

>Construction unions have spent millions in training highly educated craftspeople in this area over decades,(at no cost to taxpayers)…

1. Construction (Trade) Unions have made millions by restricting who can do what work, and who can get that training.

For every Trade Union Member, there are 10 who would like the job, but didn’t get it because some Union member’s less qualified nephew got it instead.

And there is a cost to taxpayers, higher costs on Public Construction projects, for workers that are compensated at a much higher rate and benefit, than those Non-Union Tax Payers paying for the projects.

There is a difference between a Trades Union and a Workers Union.

Trades Unions seek to restrict who can do what jobs, and therefore get the most pay for their members by controlling the qualified labor pool. Trade Unions do their best to Monopolize a certain type of work to the detriment to everyone except for their members.

Workers Unions seek to represent workers in negotiations with management.

As a former member of two worker Unions, the AFL-CIO and ILWU, I can tell you that they are definitely not perfect either and are a completely different animal, and some stupid nephews come along for the ride, but they’re easier to get rid of.

Guest
Guest
Guest
4 years ago
Reply to  Sid Berg

“What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?” What is sold is just as important as what is paid. Just because a company wants to profit does not mean we will get what they promise. Especially if they are promising little in the first place.

Even a good thing can be done in a bad way. And Terra-Gen is dangling jobs in front of our eyes but a closer look shows that their proposal is for remote access with the jobs in construction mostly going to union subcontractors from elsewhere. That is not a guanteed of local income UNLESS the Board of Supervisors gets specifics in writing.

Razzmoist
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4 years ago

What about Estelle Fennell and her illegal pot grow properties?
Folks are catching on.

wantstoknow
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wantstoknow
4 years ago
Reply to  Razzmoist

huh? elaborate, please…

Chuck Chuck
Guest
4 years ago

The only jobs locals will get from Terra Gen are to cut the roads and wire the maintenance sheds.

Locals will not be building the Windmills, High Steel Iron Workers will be putting them up, and whoever owns the big equipment will be bringing their own operators.

Some whatever small local corrupt IBEW local ### officials will say whatever they have been paid to say.

The Private Security Contractors will be hiring informants though…

There will be lots of work for Private Investigators harassing local residents who are perceived as opposing the project.

local observer
Guest
local observer
4 years ago
Reply to  Chuck Chuck

you left out the fueling contract with Valley Pacific (dba Renner Petroleum). so add one driver part-time salary, but all the profit goes to Stockton. They need fuel every time to start, so basically every morning.

Willie Caos-mayham
Guest
4 years ago

🕯🌳Thank you Sid for some common sense. ☃️🎅👍🏽

Worldguy
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Worldguy
4 years ago

Thanks Sid!

cu2morrow
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cu2morrow
4 years ago

100 k ! geez.

cu2morrow
Guest
cu2morrow
4 years ago
LU 482 member
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LU 482 member
4 years ago

This is a hilarious tactic. I was an ibew local 551 apprentice from 2006-2011. I drove to santa rosa quarterly for my training classes and the local union was still incapable of providing me enough work to complete my apprenticeship even though i was willing to work everywhere within the local (crescent city- golden gate bridge). In 5 years i recieved less than 3000 hours of work. 52 wks in a year 40 hrs in a work week you do the math. This statement is the local saying the want the easy revenue for their business no matter what the cost to a community they dont give two shits about. Do you really think one wind turbine project is enough work to reopen the training center and provide 5 years of work for some new apprentices? All those new electricians will have to travel to the southern part of the local (the only part they really care about) as soon as this big job is over. All that said i am pro-labor, pro-union.

LU 482 member
Guest
LU 482 member
4 years ago

If anyone wants to become a electricians apprentice contact the jatc in santa rosa http://www.rejatc.org just be aware thats where you will do the majority of your work. The truth is the union has very little market share in the humboldt area, they cant even get hospital and school jobs which are union staples. They see this project as easy money. It is a great career path i just dont wanted people to be lied to for 5 years as i was. Kym i know you didnt title this article but i want your readers to know the truth and not be swayed on this project by union propaganda. Dont believe that anything hinges on this project other than revenue for the local. There is tons of work in Sonoma and marin counties if anyone really wants to become an electrician just dont believe that humboldt is a place for union apprentices. DO NOT BE SWAYED ON THIS PROJECT BY UNION PROPAGANDA

Macalister Crowl
Guest
Macalister Crowl
4 years ago

BULLSHIT!

TERA GEN is ONLY required to use UNION LABOR!
NOT LOCAL union labor…

Having been a member of AWPPW
(Association of Western Pulp and Paper Workers), i am familiar with LABOR UNIONS and the lack of TESTICLES they poseess.

The purchase (by CHINESE NATIONAL INVESTORS) and the eventual intentional shutdown of the L.P. pulp mill, is a fine example of LABOR UNONS and their REPS (REX BOHN) failing the LOCAL UNION WORKERS AND THEIR FAMILIES.
I agree, its An arguable statement, as the L.P. PULP MILL was in a dire financial position, and would have undoubtedly shut down regardless.
However, i believe AWPPW REPRESENTATIVES folded without so much as a question, let alone a standing position in favor of UNION WORKERS.
To me UNION WORK DON’T MEAN SHIT…
SPINELESS YELLOW BELLIED COWARDS!

Jesus, Chris
Guest
Jesus, Chris
4 years ago

Unions blow!

Go out to Mendocino Coast District Hospital, where the unions came in, and the hospital went into bankruptcy!

Now, the hospital is about to become Adventist Health…

Pretty soon, you will have Unions everywhere, and even less services to choose from!…

Unions are for people who can’t negotiate, and Unions happen to companies that pay low and which are unable to compete. Unions destroy more than they build, and, Unions make the experience of working into a nightmare…

Trying to sell this project in Humboldt, by blowing the Union trumpet, is like going on RHBB’s comment section, and saying that Marijuana is for idiots…

If the union backs it, it’s wrong. If you got a Union in your business, I sure as hell won’t work there.

Kimber Wolvert
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Kimber Wolvert
4 years ago

I’m a local E.T card holding , electrician. I graduated in 2016 from C.E.T of Sacramento and am extremely interested in this apprenticeship opportunity, this is the first I have heard of anything like it in the area. How do I sign up? Who can I contact to place my name on the list ? Please forward my info , Kimber Wolvert , 707-362-4892, 424 L street #20 eureka ca 95501, and email is [email protected] . thank you ,