Construction Employment Increases in 45 States Construction employment increased in 45 states in February compared with a year ago, according to an analysis of federal employment data by the Associated General Contractors of America. Texas saw the largest number of jobs added, increasing by 37,900, or 5 percent, from February 2022 to February 2023. Utah grew 7.3 percent (9,400). West Virginia saw the largest drop, losing 2,200 jobs, or 6.5 percent, over that period. From January to February, construction employment increased in 24 states, held steady in six, and declined in 20, and Washington, D.C. “Unfavorable weather may have held back construction in many states last month compared to January,” said Ken Simonson, the AGC chief economist. “But construction employment continued to expand almost everywhere in February compared to a year ago, despite a slump in homebuilding.” For the month, construction employment increased in 24 states, held steady in six states, and declined in 20 states and D.C. California added the most jobs over the month (7,600 jobs, 0.8 percent), followed by Texas (2,600 jobs, 0.3 percent), New Jersey (4,000 jobs, 2.5 percent) and Minnesota (2,200 jobs, 1.7 percent). The largest percentage gain occurred in Minnesota and Rhode Island (1.7 percent, 400 jobs), followed by North Dakota (1.5 percent, 400 jobs) and Mississippi (1.5 percent, 700 jobs). Story

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California Seeks to Ban Criminal Background Checks for Most Private Sector Employers Existing California law regulates inquiries into and using criminal history information in hiring and personnel decisions. Existing California law also substantially impedes the ability of employers (and background check companies) to obtain such information from public records. However, the existing restrictions pale compared to draconian restrictions proposed earlier this year. On February 17, 2023, two state senators introduced Senate Bill 809 (SB 809) to replace one of California's primary laws with the “Fair Chance Act of 2023.”¹ SB 809 is currently pending review by the Senate Judiciary Committee and contains eight sections, the primary ones summarized below. Because the bill seeks outright to ban criminal background checks by most private sector employers, employers should monitor the progress of this bill in Sacramento. Story

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From Our Friends at CFEC Here are the latest PLA threats in Sandy Ego that you should be fighting:

·        City of La Mesa - all work

·        Oceanside USD - $160 million Measure W school bond

·        La Mesa-Spring Valley School District - $136 million Measure V school bond

Please let CFEC know if you are interested in helping fight one or all of these PLAs!

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Utah Enacts Laws Allowing Employers to Obtain Workplace Violence Protective Orders and Restricting Use of Vaccination or Immunity Status in Employment Decisions Utah Governor Spencer J. Cox signed H.B. 324 into law amending Utah’s protective order statute to allow employers to petition for and obtain workplace violence protective orders against an individual who has engaged in or threatened potential workplace violence. The law will become effective on July 1, 2023. He also signed H.B. 131, which prohibits employers, government entities, and places of public accommodation from using an individual’s immunity status as a restriction. The law goes into effect on May 3, 2023.

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Wyoming Passes Fair and Open Competition Act for Construction SF 147 – The Fair and Open Competition Act – was passed by the Wyoming legislature and signed by Gov. Mark Gordon. SF 147 protects Wyoming taxpayers by ensuring that all of the state’s skilled construction workforce can compete on a level playing field for contracts to build state, state-assisted and local public works projects. Once in effect on July 1, Wyoming will be the 25th state with an active policy restricting the use of government-mandated project labor agreements. Story

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And because there is always bad with the good: Michigan Governor Repeals Right-to-Work Law, Reinstates Prevailing Wage Rules Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed into law S.B. 34 and H.B. 4007, which respectively repeal the state’s right-to-work protections and reinstates prevailing wage requirements for public construction projects. The actions reward labor unions’ substantial financial and political contributions to Michigan Democrats’ unified state governmental control and garnered significant opposition from ABC of Michigan, the wider business community, and Republican lawmakers. Michigan enacted right-to-work laws in 2013, and state Democrats have long sought restoration of organized labor’s power to compel dues payments from nonunion workers despite the fact that Michigan voters’ overwhelming opposition to a constitutional amendment advanced for that purpose by the United Auto Workers beginning in 2012. Story

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Last Year’s Labor Fights Are Back in Sacramento Two hotly contested housing bills by Sen. Scott Wiener got their first hearings, revisiting familiar arguments about labor provisions and the urgent need to construct affordable housing in California. At issue are provisions that the State Building and Construction Trades Council (BTC) insists upon, particularly the requirement that trained and skilled workers (S&TWF) build new housing projects. The group has torpedoed housing legislation without S&TWF, but lawmakers reached a rare deal involving a dual-bill solution last year. Senate Bill 423 by Wiener would make permanent a 2017 law meant to cut through red tape around construction projects in cities and counties that aren’t meeting state housing plan requirements. But it would do so without the “trained and skilled” requirement for workers. Instead, it would require employees to be paid a prevailing wage based on their field and location, in addition to requiring health care on larger projects. That has the resounding support of the carpenters’ unions and various YIMBY groups, who say the prevailing wage and health care requirements are preferable to strict labor rules that can slow down much-needed construction. But the BTC says it will hurt workers and create unsafe structures. “We oppose this as a matter of principle,” said Sara Flocks, the California Labor Federation's legislative and strategic campaigns director, standing with the BTC in opposition. “It is unacceptable to strip labor protections and labor standards from any worker in California.” Similar arguments were at the heart of Wiener’s other bill, Senate Bill 4, which would streamline housing construction on property owned by religious organizations and institutions of higher education. Both bills passed the Senate housing committee, but much remains to be settled. Many members, including the author, expressed a desire for compromise. But Wiener expressed frustration at the opponents’ reluctance to negotiate, saying, “It takes two to tango.” Sen. Anna Caballero was among those who said she wanted to see the disagreement resolved. “I want to hope that there’s a sweet spot where we can get to ‘yes,’” she said. “I don’t want to kill housing bills because we can’t agree.”

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Arizona lawmakers are considering a bill to reduce taxes for startup businesses. On March 14, the Arizona Senate voted to pass bill SB1559 to reduce taxes for startups and new businesses with an attenuated tax reduction over the course of the first three years in operation, starting with full exemption in the first year, 50 percent in the second year and 25 percent in the third year. Story

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Tackling Salt Lake City’s Affordable Housing Crisis with Empathy and Accountability What’s in a name? Until last year, Tony Milner was director of Salt Lake City’s Housing and Neighborhood Development Division. Now it’s the Department of Housing Stability. Milner said that the city changed the name to signal that affordable and available housing “is the generational challenge” that Salt Lake City and most U.S. cities are facing. Story

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Utah Governor Signs Bill Adopting New State Flag, Veto Referendum Filed Against It Utah Gov. Spencer Cox (R) signed Senate Bill 31 (SB 31), establishing a new state flag, on March 21. The new flag below will become official on March 9, 2024. The current state flag, adopted on March 9, 1911, and shown below, will be called the historic state flag.



Proposed new Utah state flag



Current Utah state flag

Voters, however, might have the chance to weigh in. On March 6, after the Legislature approved SB 31, a campaign called the 2023 Utah Flag Referendum filed a veto referendum against the bill. The campaign has until April 12 to gather 134,298 valid signatures. If successful, SB 31 will be put on hold until voters decide whether to adopt the new flag on Nov. 5, 2024. This would be the fifth veto referendum in Utah’s state history. Two veto referendums appeared on the ballot in 1954, one in 1975, and one in 2007. In all cases, voters repealed the targeted law. Utah is the latest state to attempt a flag redesign. In 2020, Mississippi voters approved a statewide measure adopting a new state flag with 73 percent of the vote.

The five states that redesigned their flags before Mississippi are:

• Louisiana - 2006
• Georgia - 2003
• South Dakota - 1992
• Nevada - 1991
• Florida - 1985

Click this link to see each state’s current flag:

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California may have a budget deficit, but a plan to repay Black residents for generations of discrimination could cost $800 billion, economists have told the panel considering the payments. Story

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Author (Wife of former Legislator/Supervisor) of Plagiarized Book Will Keep $1 Million in Tax Dollars from Santa Clara County Despite discovering that she plagiarized much of her writing, Jean McCorquodale will keep the $1 million given to her by Santa Clara County to write a book about the county’s history, the San Jose Mercury News reported on March 13. McCorquodale, a former county employee and the wife of former Santa Clara County Supervisor and state Senator Dan McCorquodale, was awarded a no-bid contract in 2018 to write a history of the county. The county said she was selected because of her “unique and unparalleled knowledge of the county’s history and leadership,” the Mercury News stated. After McCorquodale turned in her 580-page manuscript – two years after her deadline – the Mercury News studied the writing. It determined that approximately 20 percent was copied nearly word-for-word from Wikipedia and other sources. The history project has been scrapped, but the $1 million payment will not be returned. County Counsel James Williams told the Mercury News that the only option for the county would be to file a contract dispute that could cost the county more than $1 million. McCorquodale was a grant writer for the county. Since 2009, the county has paid her company more than $2.5 million.

Video: Hear from women currently in our program as well as successful grads



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Women in Construction Week 2023 Spotlights

Laura Martinez, Commercial Electrical Apprentice


 

“Being an electrician has impacted my life greatly,” says Laura Martinez, a fifth year, second semester Commercial Electrical Apprentice. “I make more money than any other job I have held in the past; I feel very independent; my self-esteem is better than ever; my loved ones feel very proud of me, and my daughters see me as a role model.”

Before joining WECA, Laura was a single mom who struggled a lot because she didn’t make enough money to make ends meet. Since she had an interest in the wiring process and wanted to work with her hands, Laura extensively researched various trades before deciding to become an electrician.

Laura initially applied to many different programs and passed the testing and interview processes with those programs but kept getting turned away due to her lack of work experience in the trades. After two years of waiting for an opportunity, she cried with joy and happiness when she was accepted into WECA’s Commercial Electrical Apprenticeship Program.

“WECA is an amazing program where I feel taken care of,” says Laura. “WECA and my employers (Laura is currently with Helix Electric) have helped me succeed. Every semester I learn a lot of material that I then apply to the field, and I love that the program offers on-the-job training in addition to classroom instruction. The courses help me perform well in the field, and my employers make sure that I work in all stages of the process so that I can become a well-rounded electrician.”

Laura says that more women are needed in not only the electrical industry, but the trades as a whole.

“Sadly, as a society, we believe that certain jobs can only be performed by men. Before becoming an electrician, I didn’t believe in myself like I do now, and I know there are a lot of women hungry to succeed in life but doubting themselves.”

According to Laura, working as an electrician is dynamic, intellectually stimulating, and personally rewarding.

“The electrical trade is one where one never stops learning,” says Laura. “No one day is the same as the other because there are always challenges, lots of critical thinking, and solutions to be found. I also enjoy that I can bring out different skills at different stages. For example, I didn’t know that I was strong enough to dig the whole day during the underground stage, and it’s interesting to find pathways for piping and wiring during this stage.”

Additionally, Laura says there’s numerous advantages to apprenticing with WECA’s apprenticeship programs versus pursuing a traditional two or four-year college education.

“The advantages of my apprenticeship with WECA are that I don’t have to pay out of pocket for my education, there are college credits [through the National College Credit Recommendation Service] if I decide to continue my education after WECA, the health coverage, and the fact that I can take two weeks off [of on-the-job training to complete the daytime in-classroom portion of the apprenticeship program] without sacrificing time with my family. Plus, with WECA’s apprenticeship, there’s the advantage of getting an education while working and getting hands-on experience,” says Laura.

Laura, we’re glad to have a driven achiever like yourself as part of the WECA family! It’s our pleasure to help you craft a marketable and lucrative electrical career and propel you into the future echelon of premier women electricians in California!

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Brooke Owens, Electrician Trainee



Sometimes, our true callings are found in unexpected moments. That was the case for Electrician Trainee Brooke Owens, whose interest in becoming an electrician began when she and her grandpa built a tree fort during her childhood.

“The electrical part struck a strong passion for electricity,” says Brooke.

As an adult, that passion for electricity has intensified and shaped her life in many ways.

“Being an electrician has completely changed my life. When you wake up and enjoy what you’re doing, it isn’t work, but a passion,” Brooke expounds. “Being an electrician has taught me so much – like how to be a great leader, teacher, and mentor. The best part of being an electrician is starting a job and seeing it through all the processes from beginning to end. We [electricians] get to say, I built that building and gave it light. I also love the flow state – that’s where the magic happens.”

As a woman electrician, Brooke says that “It’s awesome being a woman in a male-dominated industry because as women, we hold our own and have strong willpower. I enjoy being underestimated. More women should become electricians because we should prove that this industry isn’t just a man’s job. It’s our time to shine and hold it down. It’s truly empowering to see another woman on the job, so you are not alone.”

Brooke's passion for her chosen profession is inspiring, and WECA is proud to play a part in her success.

“WECA has been so helpful for learning and getting ready for the journeyperson test. The instructors are so inspiring and helpful. It makes it easier when you and your instructor share the same passion for the trade and want to learn and grow,” says Brooke. “The advantages I have with WECA’s Electrician Trainee Program for me is definitely the classes, and the hands-on labs are great. You get great knowledge from the classes and experience in the labs. It’s a win-win experience. The great perks of the program versus a regular college education is that you get to do school after you learn hands-on stuff on the jobsite, learning as you go. Without WECA and Bergelectric [my employer], I wouldn’t be growing into this successful electrician that I’m becoming.”

In closing, Brooke says “Thank you for this opportunity to share my experience with WECA and readers. It’s truly an honor to be part of this empowering movement. I’d like to congratulate all the women in the trade and those who are part of WECA. Girl power all the way!” 

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Victoria Carrillo, Electrician Trainee



For WECA Electrician Trainee Victoria Carrillo, her family strongly influenced her decision to become an electrician and her perspective on the electrical industry.

“My dad is an electrician, and my maternal grandfather was an electrician,” says Victoria. “They inspired my interest in the electrical field, and to be hard-working. Being an electrician has changed my life so much by helping me learn to be stronger, have more patience and overall determination, and has helped me become a better mom, friend, and example for all my siblings.”

Before enrolling in WECA’s Electrician Trainee Program, Victoria tried to become an electrician through a traditional college education, but found it difficult to succeed in that environment as a mom and full-time apprentice.

“As a mom, the ability to have class online [through WECA’s Electrician Trainee Program] is a huge advantage for me, and the late class times offered are exactly what I need to be able to manage work and school at the same time. The program offers self-paced classes twice a week with occasional hands-on labs on Saturdays and has incredible instructors who have worked in the field themselves who understand what they teach through experience. The instructors make it very easy to ask questions and learn without feeling rushed or embarrassed. And, I’ve run into wiring problems or conduit fill issues [on-the-job] that I would not have known what to do about without my knowledge from my WECA instructors. The program is so convenient and makes going to school a lot less stressful in comparison to other options I tried,” says Victoria.

As a woman electrician, Victoria says that she quickly learned that in the electrical industry, your gender doesn’t matter – but your determination to work hard does.

“Women are strong, smart, and have a strong nature within themselves to get things done,” says Victoria. “The electrical field would benefit from more women because of that. There are so many women out there with a talent for wiring and construction that don’t even know it yet.”

Great sentiments, Victoria! We’re happy to hear that WECA’s Electrician Trainee Program helps you pursue your electrical industry education and career while maintaining your family responsibilities, and hope that your insight inspires more women to join the growing ranks of premier women electricians in California!

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WECA's Outreach Team Held Special, Woman-Focused Events for WIC Week 2023

WECA hosted a Women in Construction Week 2023 Outreach Event on Monday, March 6 at our California headquarters in Rancho Cordova.

We were pleased to have a sizable number of women come to learn more about WECA and our Apprenticeship and Electrician Trainee programs.

During the event, Workforce Development Supervisor Diane Trotter and Assistant Director of Apprenticeship Wendy Flanagan gave attendees a tour of classrooms and labs in session, informed attendees about WECA's Apprenticeship and Electrician Trainee program options through a live presentation, shared informative videos, and hosted a riveting Q&A session.

They also held an online forum and get-together for women already enrolled in WECA's apprenticeship and electrician trainee certificate programs, and were gratified to hear positive feedback regarding the quality of WECA's electrical training programs.

"The level of education I get from WECA is so much better than what I got elsewhere," one attendee shared. "I feel like my instructor really cares about what they are teaching, how it is delivered, and about me as a student. I wanted to pass it along, so you can share with your team. Thank you for being amazing!"

Thank you for coming, everyone! We had a blast celebrating Women in Construction Week 2023 with you and are honored to have you as part of the current and future female electrical workforce!

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WECA staff got into the spirit of Women in Construction Week 2023! Pictured are staff at our California HQ in Rancho Cordova (first two pictures) and Rex Hime, the Regional Relationship Manager for Fresno (last picture) at our Fresno training facility. Thank you for helping us celebrate women in construction, everyone! 







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Want to join the growing cohort of women in the electrical industry who help power their communities?

Learn more about and apply for WECA's apprenticeship programs in California, Arizona, and Utah here!

Learn more about and enroll in WECA's Electrician Trainee program here!

 

Watch our behind-the-scenes video

Stay tuned for news on an upcoming fair in San Diego


 

WECA held our first "Jump Start Your Career" fair at our Fresno training facility (which serves Fresno and the greater Central Valley region) on February 22nd.

Diane Trotter, WECA's Workforce Development Supervisor, reports that the event had a "solid turnout with many eager career seekers."

Ana Lopez, ET/Journeyman Program Manager, and Trisha Hughes, Client Services ET/CE Specialist, shared information about the Electrician Trainee Program during the event and helped attendees get a "Jump Start" on their electrical careers.

"All attendees were so grateful to have them there and to learn more about this pathway," says Diane.

Meanwhile, George Leach and Jaron Stroud, the Apprenticeship instructors at WECA's Fresno training facility, made sure that attendees got some "real hands-on questions" answered and showed off their electrical knowledge!

Additionally, Rex Hime, WECA's Regional Relationship Manager for Fresno, Don Black, Apprentice Training, IT, and Facilities Director, and Wendy Flanagan, Assistant Director of Apprenticeship, were on hand to answer attendees' burning questions, make them feel welcome, guide them to the right spot within the fair, and made sure that our participating Member Contractors had everything they needed.

Rex says, "The event captured the value of being a WECA member or student in a bottle. Our enthusiastic applicants got hands-on experience with what their education in Fresno would look like, witnessing live workshops from WECA's Fresno instructors. Participating members were also thrilled to meet potential future employees. The event gave them a venue to put a name to a face and see the determination of the Central Valley's future electricians. I was delighted with all the preparation and professionalism displayed by our attendees, and our member contractors felt the same way. Jump Start was a successful catalyst to strengthen Central Valley's electrical workforce, which is beneficial to all of us at the end of the day."

Many of WECA's Member Contractors participated in the career fair. Chad Leger of Rex Moore Group says, "Rex Moore's partnership with WECA is great. We love WECA because WECA turns out some of the best talent there is; WECA turns out great apprentices. We like to take those apprentices and turn them into leaders."

Richard Markuson of WECA Government Affairs also stopped in to show his support for the educational and member services provided by the Fresno training facility for the greater Central Valley region.

And last, but not least, Jeff Jaramillo, WECA's Content and Event Producer, compiled footage of the event (seen above) and interviewed attendees.

"It was great to see everyone!", concludes Diane.

WECA would like to thank our attendees for their interest and participation and our participating Member Contractors for helping expand the electrical workforce in Fresno and the Central Valley!

 

Share your appreciation for WECA instructors by sharing your favorite memory or a message of gratitude

Teacher Appreciation Week is coming up on May 8 - 12, 2023! Share a favorite memory or message of appreciation for a WECA instructor, whether an Apprenticeship or GetWired instructor, who made a difference in your education. If we pick your submission to publicize during Teacher Appreciation Week, we'll send you a WECA hoodie!

Click here to share your favorite memory or message of appreciation for a chance to win a WECA hoodie!

Take control of your finances with SmartDollar, your financial wellness benefit.

Not yet signed up for SmartDollar? Learn how to get started below


 

National Financial Literacy Month was started to encourage people to review and improve their finances. There's no better time to get smarter with money! Use the SmartDollar resources below for each week of April to learn more about different topics:

Week 1: Budgeting

Week 2: Paying Off Debt

Week 3: Saving

Week 4: Retirement

Want to learn how to get smarter with your money and take control of your finances in a group setting? SmartDollar also offers Live Group Coaching sessions! Check out upcoming sessions below:



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Not yet signed up for SmartDollar? No worries -- getting started is easy! Learn how below.


 

SmartDollar is a financial wellness benefit for WECA apprentices. We announced our partnership with the Dave Ramsey-founded online financial wellness platform in January, 2021 to provide our apprentices with a sound foundation in personal finance management. This benefit is available to all WECA apprentices free of charge. Not yet signed up for SmartDollar? No worries -- scroll to the bottom of this article for instructions!

What is SmartDollar? SmartDollar is a step-by-step approach to handling money with the number-one authority in personal finance, Dave Ramsey. More than 4.5 million people have started on Dave's plan and taken control of their money, and you can too! SmartDollar will equip you to get out of debt, on a budget, and on your way to a strong financial foundation.

The average person pays off $9,405 of debt and saves $6,127 in the first twelve months, and you can too!

"This program is powerful yet simple to understand. The Baby Steps make understanding how to win with money easy! Dave's lessons are fun, informative, and incredibly encouraging. It really doesn't feel like I'm taking a financial course. It's more like learning finances from a good friend...or a financially savvy stand-up comedian! The online tools are fantastic as well, and I love being able to 'ASK DAVE' any question and do my budget online. Love it all!" - Recent participant

With SmartDollar, you'll learn how to...

• Jump-start your money
• Knock out debt
• Secure your dream home
• Retire in style
• Demystify your credit score

How does SmartDollar work? With so many ways to engage in SmartDollar activities and content, SmartDollar Points have been designed to encourage users to establish true behavior change. (Check out the graph below for a quick rundown). The greater the importance and required time of each activity, the greater the amount of points that can be earned. For example, each Core Lesson video completed is worth 250 points. Completing a shorter Deep Dive video is worth 50 points. Tracking a transaction in EveryDollar is only worth 20 points, but users are encouraged to track all their financial transactions with no points limitations. These example activities are key for building the confidence you need to reach your financial goals.






 

Taking advantage of your free financial wellness benefit, SmartDollar, is easy!

To set up your account after accessing your dashboard, click either of the links shown as highlighted in the screenshot to the right of this paragraph. You'll be taken to a page with a SmartDollar enrollment link, where you will be able to set up immediate access to this important benefit.

Ready to get started?

Login to your GOWECA dashboard

Dina Kimble, President and CEO of WECA Member Contractor Royal Electric Company, honored by the Sacramento Business Journal as one of the Sacramento region's most admired CEOs


 

Dina Kimble, President and CEO of Royal Electric Company, a longtime WECA Member Contractor who has also served on our Board of Directors, was recently honored by the Sacramento Business Journal as one of the region's most admired CEOs.

Please join WECA in congratulating Dina for this tremendous accolade, and for giving us a glimpse in the accompanying article into the hard but important work that goes into building a strong company culture.

Leslie Schlaegel, Vice President of Talent Development at Royal Electric Company and current Trustee on the WECA Apprenticeship Training Trust Board of Trustees, is also quoted in the article and provides further insight into Dina's leadership and Royal Electric Company's success.

Congratulations, Dina!

Enroll today and then register for your WECA-exclusive platform walk-through session on Apr. 19


 

Dear WECA Member Contractor,

Mineral (formerly ThinkHR) is a premium Human Resources platform that combines the best in live advisor expertise with innovative technology and comprehensive and instructional content to help organizations address all potential Human Resources related people risks, including guidance on preparing for and managing these risks. WECA provides access to this premium resource for you as our valued member contractor.

Mineral's value proposition and benefits: an overview

Comprehensive Overview

Premium Solutions

Industry Value Report - Construction

What's New in Mineral

35 Critical HR Processes

You're eligible for access to the Mineral HR Resources platform (formerly ThinkHR) as a WECA member benefit. If you have not yet enrolled for access, please do so here.

Mineral will be hosting a special platform walk-through session for WECA Member Contractors on Wednesday, April 19 at 9 AM PDT/12 PM EDT, where they will provide a detailed overview of the resources to which you will have access as an administrative user once you've enrolled.

Next, Please register for "Introduction to Mineral -- a Walk-Through for WECA Member Contractors" on April 19, 2023 at 9 AM PDT here.

In this session, Mineral will cover:

• General Mineral platform layout
• How to consult your Mineral HR experts
• How to easily create your Employee Handbook that's never out-of-date
• How to assign training to your employees from a catalog of hundreds of interactive courses
• How to navigate a multitude of HR compliance resources, tools, and templates
• Plus much more!

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. You will also receive reminder emails the day prior and one hour prior to the start of this session.

We hope to see you there!

Sincerely,

The WECA Team

 

At WECA, many of our employees have become family over the years. That’s certainly true for Audra Jamieson, WECA’s Apprenticeship Program Specialist, who celebrated her 20^th working anniversary with WECA earlier this month.

Audra began working for WECA as a file clerk in 2003. During her first year, she started working toward her goal of learning everything about WECA and its operations. Her ambition opened the door to expand her knowledge of WECA and inspired her to learn beyond her newfound acquired knowledge.

In Audra’s current role as Apprenticeship Program Specialist, she focuses on processing apprentice, state, and federal registrations and apprentice GI Bill benefits, conducts apprentice probationary reviews, and assists with apprentice wages and questions. She also provides support to WECA’s Member Contractors, students, and staff, and makes it her personal mission to find the answer they need.

“My current role today is sort of unique, as my daily tasks can change day to day,” says Audra. “I want to treat everyone I interact with just how I would like to be treated and provide the best customer service I can.”

Even after 20 years at WECA, Audra endeavors to continually grow in her role and contribute to improving the association.

“With the expansion of our apprenticeship training programs into Arizona and Utah, my duties seem to have grown as well. This is not a bad thing, because this only allows me to think outside of the box and about what I can do to make my daily tasks and processes run a little smoother,” says Audra.

Additionally, it seems that Audra’s passion for WECA and its mission has intensified over her 20 years with the organization.

“I have been extremely fortunate to be part of the continuing growth WECA has accomplished throughout the years. I really do believe in our core values and our mission to train, educate, and to develop a future skilled trades workforce,” says Audra. “WECA works hard to protect the rights of merit shop business owners and their employees, and I truly believe that 100 percent of everything that we do here is because of our Member Contractors and students. We couldn’t be successful and where we are today if it wasn’t for them,” says Audra.

However, Audra’s favorite thing about her job and working for WECA is witnessing and being part of students’ success stories.

“The accomplishments of an individual who has successfully completed one of our outstanding programs, whether it is the electrical trainee program or the apprenticeship program, is very satisfying to me. I’m honored to be part of that success of a student who proudly accepts their certificate of completion during graduation and to be able to walk the stage with their classmates and have their employer, family, and friends share that experience. Each student has worked exceptionally hard for that, and it pleases me to see them reach their goal,” says Audra.

And, Audra’s favorite memory of WECA at WECA is witnessing and contributing to the organization’s exponential growth.

“I’ve been fortunate to witness the growth of WECA in the last 20 years,” says Audra. “Most people may not be aware, but WECA was limited to training apprentices in certain areas and counties for California when I first started. So, one of my favorite memories is when WECA won statewide approval in 2005. That allowed us to start training apprentices throughout the state of California for our Commercial Electrical, Residential Electrical, and Low Voltage Apprenticeship programs. This was just the boost we needed, and between 2005 and 2007 is when WECA established our Electrician Trainee program to meet the needs of uncertified electricians. Now adding the Arizona and Utah apprenticeship programs to our list of accomplishments is just icing on the cake.”

Outside of work, Audra is equally passionate about her family and her hobbies.

“Coming from a big family, I feel like we are always celebrating something special, so I like hanging out with my family whenever possible. I enjoy all types of music and I like spending time going to movies, concerts, or any type of classic car shows. I’m also a big foodie lover, so I take pleasure in being in the kitchen trying out old and new recipes and making yummy things to eat for my friends and family. And when it comes down to baking, that’s my passion and I’m all over it. I also find it’s extremely important to be able to prioritize self-care and make life as enjoyable as possible. Just be free and have fun when you can – life is short,” says Audra.

Audra’s been extremely successful in her 20 years at WECA thanks to her passion and drive, but she also attributes her success at WECA to the help of her mentors, who have also become friends.

“I’d like to thank Terry and Bob for their greatness and knowledge of the organization and extend a special thank you to Christine and Wendy for always being a fantastic support system for me with any challenges that may cross my path, and their willingness to always help,” says Audra.

Congratulations on your 20^th working anniversary with WECA, Audra! We are honored to have you as part of the WECA family, and thank you for helping WECA grow into the premier nonprofit organization serving merit shop electrical and low voltage contractors, their employees, and the industry suppliers that support them in the American West! 

Responsible Managing Employees Are No Joke

Failure to Adhere to Responsible Managing Employee Requirements May Result in Waiver of Contractor's Right to Compensation for Work Performed

Content courtesy of Smith, Currie & Hancock LLP

For the second time in calendar year 2022, the Court of Appeal of California has found California Contractors State Licensing Laws bar contractors from collecting for work performed. (See Smith, Currie & Hancock LLP Partner Daniel McLennon's Law Note on Kim v. TWA Construction, Inc. (2022) 78 Cal.App.5th 808, finding that licensed contractor could not collect payment for work performed by an unlicensed subcontractor notwithstanding that the contractor was itself licensed to perform that work.)

In an opinion that should be a warning call to all contractors in California, the Court of Appeal upheld a trial court's decision to vacate an arbitration award of over $100,000 to a contractor because the contractor did not carry its burden to prove that its purported Responsible Managing Employee was in fact a bona fide Responsible Managing Employee. (Vascos Excavation Grp. v. Gold (Cal. Ct. App., Dec. 21, 2022, No. B315205) 2022 WL 18398783.) All corporate contractors in California should be aware that failure to have a bona fide Responsible Managing Employee automatically suspends the contractor's license, resulting in the inability to collect for the work performed.

Read the rest here.

Don't miss out -- there are three weeks left to RSVP to join WECA for an open house and ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating our NEW Utah Apprenticeship Training Center!

Apr. 12 from 3:30 to 6:30 PM


 

Please join us this April for WECA's open house and ribbon-cutting ceremony for our new, state-of-the-art training facility in Woods Cross, Utah! All are welcome!

When: April 12, 2023 from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m.

Where: 2511 S. Redwood Rd., Ste. 22

Woods Cross, UT 84087

• Enjoy food and libations
• Tour our new facility
• Meet WECA instructors, staff, members, students, board members, and members of the Salt Lake City and greater Utah electrical industry and community
• Learn about WECA and how the association serves electrical contractors and the industry
• See how our apprentices learn--including the new technology and innovative training tools used in WECA's apprenticeship learning labs!

We look forward to seeing you there! Please take a moment to RSVP:

Register for our Utah open house and ribbon-cutting ceremony

Starbucks' Fight with Unions Comes Down to This Brutal 7-Word Truth. Every Leader Should Pay Close Attention.

Content courtesy of Inc.
 

By Jason Aten, Tech Columnist

Starbucks' CEO Howard Schultz has always been staunchly against unionization at the company's stores. During his three different runs as CEO, he hasn't been shy about his feelings that employees shouldn't need to join a union to be treated fairly.

In the past few years, the company has been aggressive in its efforts to slow down the push to form unions at its more than 9,000 stores. It's one of the reasons Starbucks brought its founder back to the top role. Schultz argued that the company lost its way under its previous leadership, and that's a big part of why employees are pushing to unionize.

Whatever you think about Starbucks, or unions, or Schultz, he makes an important point that every business leader should consider.

"Some decisions were made that I would not have made," Schultz told CNN. "As a result of that, I think people did lose trust in the leadership of the company." 

If you think about it, once your team loses trust in the leadership of your company, it shouldn't come as a surprise that they might try to do something about it. Unionization is simply the logical conclusion of that thread. 

Basically, Schultz is saying that if your employees are trying to form a union, you're doing something wrong. As for Starbucks, he says the reason employees want to be a part of a union is because the company "was not leading in a way that was consistent with its history."

I'm not suggesting that unions are bad--but I'm suggesting they always organize in response to something. The reality is that whatever that something is, you usually have a lot more influence over it than you might think. The problem is, you just didn't think it was as big a deal as your employees did. 

To that end, I think Schultz has a point. If Starbucks' employees trusted the company's leadership to do the right thing for them, they would have a lot less motivation to form a union. Inherently, the reason for forming a union is to force an employer to listen to employees and make change. If your employees were happy with their working conditions, they wouldn't be asking for change.

It's important to understand that you might be paying your employees well and giving them good benefits, but if you lose their trust, none of that matters. If they don't feel like they're being treated fairly, you have a problem.

Notice that the standard isn't whether you think you're treating them fairly, or whether an outside observer might think so. It isn't even whether your employees think they are being treated fairly. The question is whether your employees feel that way. 

That disconnect explains a lot of the reason employees lost trust in leadership. On the one hand, executives look at things like spreadsheets and comparables and financial statements. They analyze and rationalize and come up with plans that make sense on paper. 

The thing is, what makes sense on paper doesn't always feel fair to your employees, because feelings are tricky. Employees don't care about those spreadsheets. What they care about is whether they are satisfied in their job, enjoy the people they work with, and feel respected by management. If you lose that, there's nothing a spreadsheet can do to help you win it back.

* Cal/OSHA Guidance on Requirements to Protect Workers from Coronavirus
* Supplemental Toolbox Talks COVID-19
* Coronavirus Toolbox Talk
* Fact Sheet for Pandemics
* Coronavirus - Workplace, School and Home Guidance
* COVID-19 Tool Cleaning Protocols
* United States Department of Labor: COVID-19
* CDC COVID-19 Risk Assessment Flowchart
* EDD Coronavirus Resources for WECA Community

These, and more, are always available on WECA's COVID-19 Advisory Page.

Job Numbers Released As released on Friday, job openings were 10.8 million at the end of January. While down 410,000 from December, openings are still extremely high. There are 5.1 million more job openings than unemployed workers. Job openings are not dropping as fast as many anticipated because businesses still badly need many workers and because the economy is not cooling as quickly as expected. For more snapshots of the U.S. economy from the Economic Policy Division at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, click here.

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The Race is On for Arizona Senate Nothing shakes up local politics like an open congressional seat. The dominos are already beginning to fall after Democratic Congressman Ruben Gallego’s decision to run for U.S. Senate in 2024. Progressive would-be candidates are sizing up the 3rd Congressional District, which favors Democrats by 24 points in terms of voter registration. Noteworthy politicos considering running for Rep. Gallego’s seat include:

• Phoenix Vice Mayor Yassamin Ansari
• Phoenix City Councilmember Laura Pastor
• Phoenix City Councilmember Betty Guardado
• State Sen. Raquel Terán (D-Phoenix)

Terán’s decision is already being felt at the Capitol. Terán resigned as Senate Minority Leader recently to focus on her potential congressional run. With Sen. Rosanna Gabaldón (D-Green Valley) also stepping down from leadership for personal reasons, Senate Democrats elected new leadership.

The new Democrat Senate leadership team is:

• Sen. Mitzi Epstein (D-Tempe) - Senate Minority Leader
• Sen. Juan Mendez (D-Tempe) - Senate Minority Assistant Leader
• Sen. Eva Burch (D-Mesa) - Senate Minority Whip
• Sen. Lela Alston (D-Phoenix) will remain as Senate minority caucus chair

[Veridus LLC]

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Coastal Cash Dash President Joe Biden came to California to raise campaign money. It’s the latest sign that the 80-year-old president is readying another run for the White House. Biden’s trip west took him to Rancho Santa Fe, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas, where he reportedly put all the California cash on “red.” (Bartlett/Markuson gambling strategy with 50% success rate)

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AGC Economist Dismisses a 2023 Recession Strong job openings, wage growth, and robust investment into equipment, IT, and overall plant construction indicate the U.S. economy should avoid a recession this year, said Ken Simonson, chief economist for Associated General Contractors of America, during an AGC webinar on the construction outlook. “I remain optimistic that we’re not going to have one,” said Simonson, referring to a recession. “There’s just a lot of spending power on the consumer and business sides. State and local governments at all levels also have much money to spend. Tax revenues have held up in a way that you don’t see during a recessionary period.” Story

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Labor Department Enters $20M Partnership to Open Doors to Women, Minorities in Trades The Department of Labor has entered a $20 million agreement with TradesFutures — a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit — to advance equitable opportunities in the construction industry, according to a press release shared with Construction Dive. The nonprofit will partner with the DOL, the National Urban League, and North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU) to develop a gateway for women, people of color, veterans, Native Americans, and other underrepresented groups to access apprenticeship programs. The project will initially explore programs in Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee before expanding to other states. Story

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California Continues to Lead the Nation – in Energy Costs The added costs of California’s policies and regulations continue to keep prices at the highest or near the highest among the contiguous states across all energy sources. 


 

California Requires Bereavement Leave California’s new bereavement leave law, which became effective beginning January 1, 2023, requires most employers to allow their employees to take up to five days of leave upon the death of certain family members.  Although vetoes had stymied previous bills providing for bereavement leave, Governor Gavin Newsom signed the new legislation — Assembly Bill (“AB”) 1949 — into law as an “important step” to ensure that low-wage workers “can access the time off they’ve earned while still providing for their family.”  The new law makes California one of the few states requiring employers to provide bereavement leave. Story

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The Basics of Community Solar Projects and Their Application to Multifamily Projects In recent years, the share of energy produced in the United States through solar photovoltaic (PV) technology has increased exponentially. In 2008, installed solar capacity totaled a mere 0.34 gigawatts, but that figure has now reached 134 gigawatts. One type of solar facility that has contributed to this dramatic growth is community solar projects (CSPs). The U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory defines a community solar project as a “distributed solar energy deployment model that allows customers to buy or lease part of a larger, off-site shared PV system.” The owner or developer of a CSP receives payment from customers “subscribing” to the CSP in exchange for certain economic, environmental, and social benefits. Story

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Opinion: Utah Sen. Mitt Romney Has a Plan That Is Pro-Business, And Pro-Climate Romney recognizes that climate action and business do not need to be enemies on the national stage. Story

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In a possibly related story, Utah’s Largest Coal Company Gives up on Coal Canyon Fuel Co. LLC will relinquish two mining leases and apply the social cost of carbon in the environmental analysis of a third lease as part of a settlement agreement reached last week with environmental groups and the federal government. The agreement comes as the Biden administration weighs a hike in the social cost of carbon — a metric for calculating the monetary damages caused by greenhouse gas pollution — and amid continued debate over fossil fuel production on federal land. Story

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Could “No Labels” make a big difference in the 2024 election? The Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes announced that the national group No Labels submitted enough signatures to qualify in the state as a recognized political party - and just in time for the 2024 cycle. In a state where ultra-close statewide races have become the norm, politicos wonder if the No Label-ers could swing key contests next year for U.S. Senate, the White House, and more. Opinions differ. Secretary Fontes, a Democrat, believes No Labels candidates will bleed the GOP of support from traditional Republicans who’ve become alienated by MAGA messaging. Arizona Republic columnist Laurie Roberts isn’t so sure, arguing instead that No Labels will benefit Donald Trump (or any other GOP nominee) by playing the “spoiler” in next year’s race for Arizona’s presidential electoral votes. Nationally, Democrat think tank Third Way is sounding the alarm and warned that President Joe Biden’s narrow 2020 victory was powered, in part, by his support from independent and third-party voters. New Labels threatens to steal that support, Third Way writes, and could be determinative in swing states where “even a paltry third-party performance would put 79 Biden electoral votes at risk.” Perhaps the most intriguing possibility for No Labels involves Democrat-turned-Independent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema. Adopting the political party as her new home would not only mean far fewer signatures for her to gather in qualifying for the 2024 ballot, but it also could provide her access to No Labels’ deep pockets, data modeling, and other party infrastructure. These are the kind of resources she gave up when she left the Democratic party in late 2022 - and could make her more formidable in a potential three-way General Election showdown against Democratic U.S. Rep. Ruben Gallego and a GOP nominee. [Veridus LLC]

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ON THE ROAD AGAIN: Governor Newsom is skipping the annual State of the State address and going on the road, writes POLITICO. Fresh off an easy reelection, Newsom has decided to forego a formal speech at the state Capitol and will instead lay out his agenda with a round-the-state series of events starting today in Sacramento. “He’s not interested in the pomp of the State of the State speech,” said political adviser Sean Clegg. “He wants to get a spotlight on these issues he’s going to talk about rather than getting up there and doing the laundry list.” Newsom will shine that spotlight as he rides political momentum into his second term. He overwhelmingly defeated an attempted recall in 2021 and then cruised to victory last November. Republicans who argue the governor has failed to allay pressing issues like homelessness and poverty have little power to impede his agenda in a Democrat-dominated Legislature.

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Su for Labor? A potential promotion for former California labor chief Julie Su got even more contentious, as labor advocates squared off with conservative critics. Republicans and business advocates gathered in front of the state Capitol to blast Su’s nomination as U.S. Secretary of Labor over a laundry list of concerns. Those include support of a fast food labor regulation law that the industry is trying to kill in the 2024 election, a contract worker reclassification law that Uber, Lyft and others have so far blocked at the ballot box and in the courts, and a pandemic unemployment meltdown that delayed worker benefits while the state lost as much as $30 billion to fraud.

• Kevin Kiley, a new member of Congress and former Assemblymember from Rocklin: “I am urging President Biden in the strongest terms to immediately withdraw Julie Su’s nomination. To say that Su failed in her previous role… is an extreme understatement.”
• Tom Manzo, founder of the California Business and Industrial Alliance: “California is “over-regulating small, medium, large-sized businesses who cannot survive in this climate. And the last thing we need to do is export her policies to the United States.”

Backing Su are major labor unions, including SEIU and the California Labor Federation. They released a joint statement calling on the U.S. Senate to move ahead with her confirmation hearing after Biden nominated her last month. Supporters tout Su’s record as a civil rights attorney and policy efforts like ramping up California wage theft investigations.

• The union statement: “Su is universally respected for her competence and dedication. She has demonstrated a lifelong commitment to upholding workers’ rights and has worked collaboratively with high-road employers to support efforts to improve job quality.”

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Language Guides for Contractors The Contractors State License Board (CSLB) has begun publishing Spanish-language versions of its licensing exam study guides. All study guides can be downloaded for free on the Examination Study Guides page of the CSLB website. As of March 15, 2023, the following exams have study guides also available in Spanish:

• B-2 – Residential Remodeling Contractor
• C-2 – Insulation and Acoustical
• C-4 – Boiler Hot Water Heating and Steam Fitting
• C-5 – Framing and Rough Carpentry
• C-9 – Drywall
• C-22 – Asbestos Abatement
• C-29 – Masonry
• C-31 – Construction Zone Traffic Control
• C-32 – Parking and Highway Improvement
• C-33 – Painting and Decorating
• C-34 – Pipeline
• C-35 – Lathing and Plastering
• C-36 – Plumbing
• C-38 – Refrigeration
• C-39 – Roofing
• C-42 – Sanitation Systems
• C-43 – Sheet Metal
• C-45 – Sign

The Spanish study guides for the remaining exams will be released over the next few weeks. In addition, CSLB is in the process of getting 10 exams translated into Spanish, including the Law and Business; B – General Building; C-8 – Concrete; C-9 – Drywall; C-15 – Flooring and Floor Covering; C-27 – Landscaping; C-33 – Painting and Decorating; C-36 – Plumbing; C-39 – Roofing, and C-54 – Ceramic and Mosaic Tile. This process is expected to be completed later this year. For these exams, Spanish-speaking applicants will take the exam in Spanish rather than using a CSLB-approved translator. Spanish-speaking applicants can still use a translator for the remaining exams that are not being translated.


 

WECA Phoenix Gets a New Councilperson Unofficial results show two City Council candidates endorsed by Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego as the winners in Tuesday’s runoff election. The election was required by law because no candidate received a majority of votes last November. The race for Phoenix City Council District 8 is historic. Kesha Hodge Washington, an attorney from Laveen, is on track to become the first African American woman to serve on the Phoenix City Council. “I find it exciting because I do understand the value of representation at the table, but I’m also committed to ensuring that I’m representing the entirety of the district. I don’t want any demographic to feel that I am not representing them,” she said. Story

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Arizona Housing Bill Rejected by State Senate Over Affordability, Local Control Worries The Arizona State Senate on Monday failed to pass a bill that would have mandated local zoning reforms to encourage the development of lower-cost starter homes. Almost half of Senate Republicans and nearly all Democrats voted against Senate Bill 117 in a 20-9 vote. According to local news reports, those voting against it largely opposed the measure over concerns that it would excessively limit local control and lacked affordable housing requirements. Gov. Katie Hobbs-D, also opposed the bill, telling reporters in February that she didn’t support “a one-size-fits-all approach” to address the state’s growing affordable housing and homelessness crises. Story

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Because California Apparently Has Enough Water, the Biggest Dam Removal Project in US History is Set to Start in California, Oregon Preconstruction work is underway on the largest dam removal and river restoration project in U.S. history. The $450 million project will take out four hydroelectric dams on the Klamath River in Oregon and California to restore habitat and passage for migrating fish. Omaha, Nebraska-based Kiewit is the prime contractor, while Knight Piesold, headquartered in South Africa, is the civil prime design partner on the project. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approved the project in November 2022, and it is set to wrap up in 2024. Story

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EVITP Requirement in Oregon On the heels of the Biden Administration’s refusal to adopt a nationwide mandate for EVITP certification for all level two and above EV charger installations, Oregon State Senators Wagner, Lieber, and Representative Fahey have introduced SB 582 to impose a state requirement like AB 841 in California. Portland General Electric, Climate Solutions, and the Sierra Club all testified in favor of the bill last week.


 

And Finally, a Bill to Streamline Water Storage Projects in California AB 66 would require the Natural Resources Agency, and each department, board, conservancy, and commission within the agency, to approve the necessary permits for specified projects that meet certain employment conditions within 180 days from receiving a permit application and would deem those permits approved if approval does not occur within this time period. What employment conditions, you ask? Most readers will not be surprised to read that to qualify for this permitting process, the project must be subject to a PLA. What you might be surprised about is who the authors of the bill are.

·        Assembly Member Devon Mathis (R-Porterville)

·        Assembly Member Juan Alanis (R-Modesto)

·        Assembly Member Philip Chen (R-Yorba Linda)

·        Assembly Member Diane Dixon (R-Newport Beach)

·        Assembly Member Heath Flora (R-Modesto), [Modesto has two Assembly members?]

·        Assembly Member James Gallagher (R-Yuba City)

·        Assembly Member Tom Lackey (R-Palmdale)

·        Assembly Member Low (D-Campbell), [Really, only one Democrat?]

·        Assembly Member Marie Waldron (R- Valley Center)

·        Senator Brian Jones (R-Santee)

None of the Republicans would explain why they were supporting a PLA bill.

 

 

Please join us in congratulating the following WECA Member Contractors in making the Sacramento Business Journal's Top Electrical Contractors list!

• Royal Electric Company
• Rex Moore Group Inc.
• Barnum & Celillo Electric Inc.
• Helix Electric Inc.
• North State Electrical Contractors Inc.
• Butterfield Electric Inc.
• Vasko Electric Inc.
• Alessandro Electric Inc.
• Bosley Electric Co.
• K S Telecom
• Garrahan Electric Inc.

Thank you, everyone, for exemplifying WECA excellence in the Sacramento region and beyond!

 

Please join us in congratulating the following WECA Arizona Member Contractors in making the Phoenix Business Journal's Top Electrical Contractors list!

• Corbins
• K2 Electric
• Specified Electrical Contractors, Inc.

Thank you, everyone, for exemplifying WECA excellence in the Phoenix metro and the state of Arizona!

Please join us in congratulating WECA Member Contractor Imperial Electric Service (owned by WECA alumni Windell Pascascio) for winning the Gwen Moore Diversity Award from Southern California Edison! Congratulations, Imperial Electric Service and Windell -- thank you for being a pillar of WECA's caliber and diversity in Fresno and the Central Valley!

 

WECA's solar energy contractors are shining bright this year!

Please join us in congratulating WECA Member Contractors SunPower and GAF Energy for making CNET's Best Solar Companies of 2023 list. Congratulations to both on leading the way in sustainably powering our communities!

See Our Recap Video and Pictures Below


 

WECA held our first "Jump Start Your Career" fair at our Fresno training facility (which serves Fresno and the greater Central Valley region) on February 22nd.

Diane Trotter, WECA's Workforce Development Supervisor, reports that the event had a "solid turnout with many eager career seekers."

Ana Lopez, ET/Journeyman Program Manager, and Trisha Hughes, Client Services ET/CE Specialist, shared information about the Electrician Trainee Program during the event and helped attendees get a "Jump Start" on their electrical careers.

"All attendees were so grateful to have them there and to learn more about this pathway," says Diane.

Meanwhile, George Leach and Jaron Stroud, the Apprenticeship instructors at WECA's Fresno training facility, made sure that attendees got some "real hands-on questions" answered and showed off their electrical knowledge!

Additionally, Rex Hime, WECA's Regional Relationship Manager for Fresno, Don Black, Apprentice Training, IT, and Facilities Director, and Wendy Flanagan, Assistant Director of Apprenticeship, were on hand to answer attendees' burning questions, make them feel welcome, guide them to the right spot within the fair, and made sure that our participating Member Contractors had everything they needed.

Rex says, "The event captured the value of being a WECA member or student in a bottle. Our enthusiastic applicants got hands-on experience with what their education in Fresno would look like, witnessing live workshops from WECA's Fresno instructors. Participating members were also thrilled to meet potential future employees. The event gave them a venue to put a name to a face and see the determination of the Central Valley's future electricians. I was delighted with all the preparation and professionalism displayed by our attendees, and our member contractors felt the same way. Jump Start was a successful catalyst to strengthen Central Valley's electrical workforce, which is beneficial to all of us at the end of the day."

Many of WECA's Member Contractors participated in the career fair. Chad Leger of Rex Moore Group says, "Rex Moore's partnership with WECA is great. We love WECA because WECA turns out some of the best talent there is; WECA turns out great apprentices. We like to take those apprentices and turn them into leaders."

Richard Markuson of WECA Government Affairs also stopped in to show his support for the educational and member services provided by the Fresno training facility for the greater Central Valley region.

And last, but not least, Jeff Jaramillo, WECA's Content and Event Producer, compiled footage of the event (seen above) and interviewed attendees.

"It was great to see everyone!", concludes Diane.

WECA would like to thank our attendees for their interest and participation and our participating Member Contractors for helping expand the electrical workforce in Fresno and the Central Valley!

Introducing the Next Self-Paced Online Option for Our GetWired Electrician Trainee Program Series:

GetWired 201: Self-Paced Introduction to Alternating Current, Branch Circuits, and Feeder/Service Calculations

Your Employees Can Now Opt to Take This Course On Their Own Time, At Their Own Pace!


 

WECA is excited to announce another way students can take GetWired 201, the fifth class in WECA's Path to an Electrician Trainee Program Certificate!

We've long offered GetWired 201 as an instructor-led online course. And we still do!

But for students who would prefer to take this course at their own pace, on their own time, we're now offering a fully self-paced online option, just like we've been offering for the GetWired 100 series! Students who might prefer this format include:

• Students with job, childcare, or other obligations preventing them from taking the instructor-led scheduled courses in the evenings
• Students who would benefit from being able to review the material at a slower pace, such as students for whom English is a second language
• Students who just prefer to work on the coursework at times and places when it works best for them

WECA's new GetWired 201 Self-Paced Option is an entirely online, self-paced alternative version of our GetWired 201 course, which reviews content covered in GetWired 104 and expands on theories and applications taught in the 100 series. You will gain practice in making a variety of calculations for:

• Branch circuit loads for single and multi-family dwellings
• Service entrance conductors using optional methods
• Peak to peak voltage

Course topics include:

• Finding information in the NEC
• Conductor comparisons and resistance
• Branch circuits and feeders
• Make up and box fill calculations – hand-on-lab
• Introduction to service calculations
• Magnetic induction
• Dwelling load calculations
• Services

GET WIRED! 201 Self-Paced includes project-based learning designed to help you develop on-the-job skills you need to be an expert electrician.

• Total class hours available: 36
• Standard Tuition Fee: $339

If all of this sounds like it would work for your employees,

have them enroll in GetWired 201 Self-Paced Online today!
 

Think your employees would prefer being able to interact with an instructor and learn along with other students, on a schedule two evenings a week, including one onsite in-person lab on a Saturday?

Have them enroll in an upcoming instance of the original GetWired 201 here!

 

Or, would your employees prefer to interact with an instructor and learn along with other students, on a schedule two evenings a week, but with an instructor-guided online lab experience on one of those evenings?

Have them enroll in an upcoming instance of the online evening instructor-led GetWired 201 with an online lab here!

 

Please join us this April for WECA's open house and ribbon-cutting ceremony for our new, state-of-the-art training facility in Woods Cross, Utah! All are welcome!

When: April 12, 2023 from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m.

Where: 2511 S. Redwood Rd., Ste. 22

Woods Cross, UT 84087

• Enjoy food and libations
• Tour our new facility
• Meet WECA instructors, staff, members, students, board members, and members of the Salt Lake City and greater Utah electrical industry and community
• Learn about WECA and how the association serves electrical contractors and the industry
• See how our apprentices learn--including the new technology and innovative training tools used in WECA's apprenticeship learning labs!

We look forward to seeing you there! Please take a moment to RSVP:

Register for our Utah open house and ribbon-cutting ceremony

Dear WECA California Member,

The new 2023 private wage sheets (effective March 2, 2023) are available on our website.

Please visit the Wage Section of our Member Forms and Resources page to view applicable private wages.

These sheets are additionally linked from your secured member dashboard, to which you can login at GOWECA.COM, underneath your prevailing wage determination links.

Sincerely,

The WECA Team

WECA Member Contractors:

Need help navigating the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA)? WECA has compiled a comprehensive guidance page, which we will regularly update as new information becomes available.

Access the IRA guidance here.

 

Content courtesy of: California Office of Energy Infrastructure Safety, Underground Safety Board Planning and Design Committee

Got 5 minutes? The Underground Safety Board's Planning and Design Committee is developing a design ticket and needs input from designers and operators regarding the planning and design process.

To access the surveys, please visit Planning and Design Surveys | Office of Energy Infrastructure Safety (ca.gov).

The surveys can be completed via your mobile device or computer. The surveys will run until COB March 17th.

Thank you for taking the time to provide a response and valuable information!

California State Bat We mentioned recently that California is poised to have a state mushroom. Existing law establishes the state flag and the state’s emblems, including, among other things, the California redwood as the official state tree and the California gray whale as the official state marine mammal. SB 732 (Menjivar-D), when enacted, would establish the pallid bat (antrozous pallidus) as the official state bat!

Admittedly the pallid bat sounds pretty cool (and is cute):  


 

·        Bats eat many pest species, including those contributing to health risks, such as mosquitoes, wasps, and flies. A female bat nursing her young will eat more than two-thirds of her body weight in insects and arthropods every night.
·        Bats provide more than $1,000,000,000 worth of pest control to California agriculture.
·        Bats eat bark beetles and wood borers, reducing wildfire risk in California forests.
·        Bats can live up to 40 years and typically raise just one pup a year. This low birth rate makes their populations particularly vulnerable to disruptions like humans encroaching on their habitat and climate change.
·        The pallid bat is as diverse as Californians – pallid bats live in California’s deserts, oak woodlands, coastal redwood forests, and high up into the pine forests of the Sierra Nevada mountains. They live in social colonies and have a rich language of calls to communicate with one another. The food they eat and the way they catch it varies both within and between different communities of pallid bats around the state.
·        Naming antrozous pallidus as the official state bat of California will help promote the appreciation, study, and protection of bats in this state.

Thanks, Senator Menjivar!

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Amazon Closes, Cancels More Warehouses as Cost-Cutting Persists Amazon has canceled, closed, or delayed 99 facilities, impacting nearly 32.3 million square feet of active or planned ground-level space in 30 states, Marc Wulfraat, president and founder of MWPVL International, said in a Feb. 24 email. In September, the firm recorded 66 impacted facilities totaling 24.6 million square feet of ground-level space. Story

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CHIPS Act Funding to Open as US Plans Semiconductor Manufacturing Clusters The United States will open its first round of applications for CHIPS and Science Act funding for manufacturing facilities next week, Commerce Sec. Gina Raimondo said during a speech at Georgetown University on Thursday. The pot of $39 billion in federal funding is meant to incentivize semiconductor manufacturers to build sites in the United States, Raimondo said. More funding will be released for supply chain and R&D operations in the coming months. The Wall Street Journal and others have noticed “Chip makers will also have to pay construction workers prevailing wages set by unions and will be “strongly encouraged” — i.e., required — to use project labor agreements (PLAs), which let unions dictate pay, benefits and work rules for all workers. States restricting PLAs may have to change their laws if they want to benefit from the federal largesse.” Story I know you were as shocked as I am about that. “Any applicant that does not commit to using labor agreements will need to submit a construction workforce continuity plan to demonstrate exactly how it would ensure projects stay on schedule. Funding recipients that request more than $150 million in direct funding also must submit plans to provide construction and facility workers with access to affordable, reliable and high-quality childcare,” Commerce officials announced.

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Rooftop Solar Advocates Request New CPUC Hearing Rooftop solar advocates opposed to the California Public Utilities Commission’s (CPUC) recent decision to cut the amount new solar users will be compensated for supplying power to the grid are petitioning for a chance to be reheard. Following months of hearings in 2022 that included hours of public comment mostly against the CPUC’s decision, attorneys for two groups filed requests with the CPUC for a chance to argue again. Tri-Valley advocates of rooftop solar agreed that the CPUC should revisit its decision. In a 25-page application for rehearing filed Jan. 17, Michael Boyd, president of Californians for Renewable Energy (CARE), accuses California Gov. Gavin Newsom of conspiring with CPUC board members to violate state and federal antitrust measures that benefit the state’s three largest public utilities, including Pacific Gas & Electric, which serves Northern California. Story

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Sacramento Bee Notices State Building and Construction Trades Council Stymies Construction of Housing “The State Building and Construction Trades Council of California, backed by the California Labor Federation, insists that lawmakers require developers to use a ‘skilled and trained’ workforce made up of largely union workers. On the other side, the California Conference of Carpenters supports a prevailing wage requirement — typically the union rate — rather than limiting which workers builders can hire.” Story

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Californian Julie Su Tapped to be Labor Secretary President Joe Biden introduced Julie Su as his pick to succeed Marty Walsh as labor secretary when Walsh leaves the administration later this month. Biden lavished praise on Su – Walsh’s deputy – who will serve as acting secretary once he goes to lead the NHL Players' Association, for her legal career representing low-wage and immigrant workers and her years of experience overseeing labor laws in California. The president also said Su, the daughter of Chinese immigrants, exemplifies the American dream and that “She’s committed to making sure that dream is in the reach of every American.” Su could face a familiar gig worker fight if confirmed as labor secretary, said the San Francisco Chronicle: Republicans previously opposed Su’s confirmation as deputy secretary of the Labor Department in 2021. She was confirmed on a party-line vote, with 50 Democrats voting in favor and 47 Republicans opposing. During that confirmation battle, Senate Republicans repeatedly raised the multi-billion-dollar scandal that engulfed California’s Employment Development Department, in which the state improperly paid jobless benefits to fraudsters.

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Fall Back No More? Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) reintroduced his bill to make daylight saving time permanent, which snuck through the Senate in a surprise last year but died in the House. Rubio has a bipartisan group of 11 co-sponsors in the upper chamber, and Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-Fla.) is introducing a House version of the bill. Will it meet a different fate there with Republicans in charge this year? PSA: You still have nine days of early-morning sunshine — clocks spring ahead at 2 a.m. on March 12. Story Last year, the Washington Post (Bob Bartlett's newspaper of choice) said about Rubio’s previous effort, “Sleep experts widely agree with the Senate that the country should abandon its twice-yearly seasonal time changes. But they disagree on one key point: which time system should be permanent. Unlike the Senate, many sleep experts believe the country should adopt year-round standard time.” Story

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News from our Friends at Coalition for a Democratic Workforce (CDW)

PRO Act Reintroduced On February 28, Congressional Democrats reintroduced the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act (HR 20, Senate companion does not yet have a bill number). The bill is a wish list of radical labor policies that would infringe on workers' and employers’ rights, diminish opportunities for entrepreneurs and small business owners, and devastate the economy. CDW’s statement on the news can be read here. CDW will send a letter to all members of Congress urging them to oppose the legislation.  

Senate HELP Planning Hearing on Union Organizing The Senate HELP Committee is planning to hold a hearing on “defending the right of workers to organize unions free from illegal corporate union-busting” on March 8. It will likely circle around the PRO Act, so CDW will send a letter to the committee on the bill's dangers and highlight past letters sent to the committee.

Sen. Sanders to Subpoena Starbucks CEO On March 1, Sen. Sanders announced the HELP Committee would hold a hearing to authorize the issuance of a subpoena to Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz, requiring him to come before the committee and provide testimony on the company’s tactics against union organizing in their stores. Sanders also seeks seemingly blanket authorization for committee investigations into “violations of federal labor law by major corporations.”

CDW Sends Letter to Congress Calling for Aggressive Oversight over NLRB, General Counsel On February 27, CDW sent a letter to both House and Senate labor committees urging them to conduct extensive oversight over the Board and General Counsel Abruzzo for their actions “promoting changes that are contrary to the bedrock principles of our democracy, like free speech, open debate, the right to cast a vote privately, and the promise of a workplace free from harassment.” The letter can be found here. 

Board Issues Decision on Severance Agreements On February 21, the Board issued its decision in McLaren Macomb, establishing that employers cannot offer employees severance agreements that require employees to waive their rights under the NLRA. The decision states that the “mere proffer” of a severance agreement that conditions receipt of benefits on the “forfeiture of statutory rights” violates workers’ collective bargaining rights. The decision overturned two Trump-era decisions, Baylor University and IGT, which broadly permitted employers to include confidentiality and non-disparagement provisions in severance agreements. The Board did not request amicus briefs in this case, despite the decision overturning precedent and making a significant change to policy. More on this policy here.

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Who’s Running for POTUS? Five noteworthy presidential candidates have declared for 2024 – nine fewer than this point in the 2020 cycle. Last week, Ballotpedia added two noteworthy 2024 presidential candidates to the list: entrepreneur and author Vivek Ramaswamy (R), and author and 2020 presidential candidate Marianne Williamson (D). The total tally currently stands at five noteworthy 2024 presidential candidates. Ramaswamy joins former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley (R), former President Donald Trump (R), and former Montana Secretary of State Corey Stapleton (R) in the Republican primary. Williamson is the first Democratic candidate to have declared a campaign for the nomination. President Joe Biden (D) has not officially announced whether he intends to run for a second term.

At this point in the 2020 cycle, 14 noteworthy candidates had announced their campaigns:

·        Jan. 20, 2017: Donald Trump (R)

·        Aug. 10, 2017: John Delaney (D)

·        Nov. 6, 2017: Andrew Yang (D)

·        Jan. 1, 2019: Tulsi Gabbard (D)

·        Jan. 12, 2019: Julián Castro (D)

·        Jan. 15, 2019: Kirsten Gillibrand (D)

·        Jan. 21, 2019: Kamala Harris (D)

·        Jan. 23, 2019: Pete Buttigieg (D)

·        Jan. 28, 2019: Marianne Williamson (D)

·        Feb. 1, 2019: Cory Booker (D)

·        Feb. 9, 2019: Elizabeth Warren (D)

·        Feb. 12, 2019: Amy Klobuchar (D)

·        Feb. 19, 2019: Bernie Sanders (I)

·        March 1, 2019: Jay Inslee (D)

Biden, the eventual Democratic nominee and supposed winner of the 2020 presidential election, announced his candidacy on April 25, 2019. In the 2016 election cycle, no noteworthy candidates had launched their campaigns as of March 1, 2015. The first announcement came on March 23 from Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas). Hillary Clinton (D), the eventual Democratic nominee, announced her campaign on April 12, 2015. Trump, the eventual Republican nominee, announced his candidacy on June 16, 2015.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Please join us this April for WECA's open house and ribbon-cutting ceremony for our new, state-of-the-art training facility in Woods Cross, Utah! All are welcome!

When: April 12, 2023 from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m.

Where: 2511 S. Redwood Rd., Ste. 22

Woods Cross, UT 84087

• Enjoy food and libations
• Tour our new facility
• Meet WECA instructors, staff, members, students, board members, and members of the Salt Lake City and greater Utah electrical industry and community
• Learn about WECA and how the association serves electrical contractors and the industry
• See how our apprentices learn--including the new technology and innovative training tools used in WECA's apprenticeship learning labs!

We look forward to seeing you there! Please take a moment to RSVP:

Register for our Utah open house and ribbon-cutting ceremony

Reaching New Heights in the Classroom and on the Aerial Lift with Low Voltage Instructor Randy Rivera's First Year, Second Semester Low Voltage Apprenticeship Class

Content courtesy of: BlueBeam



Despite the temptation to implement a new technology quickly, it’s important that there are practices in place to ensure the tool is evolving in the long run.

By: Frank Kalman

Most construction industry leaders would likely agree that implementing a new technology can be a complicated process.

From identifying pain points to researching possible solutions to going about the lengthy process to test and implement the new technology, the process can be painstaking—even though such efforts have largely gotten relatively easier and more accessible recently.

Still, it’s important for construction leaders to remember that any new technology implementation is a marathon, not a sprint.

While many focus on the initial dash to become operational on a new technology, it’s critical to account for long-term considerations. Even once the initial phase of implementation is complete, seemingly solving the problem, it’s worth maintaining a continuous-improvement approach.   

Here are six things construction leaders can do to ensure they’re taking the long view when implementing a new technology.

Make training continuous

It’s easy to focus on the initial implementation training when installing a new technology. Construction leaders have by this point spent months (or even years) researching the new tool and orchestrating its implementation.

Yet, there are several reasons why training should be designed as a continuous, long-term process.

No matter how well-designed your initial technology implementation training may be, people aren’t likely to retain it all the first time around. Often when taking on new technology, people don’t know what they don’t know—so they retain what’s taught to them just to get by, without fully realizing the context of the tool.

Revisiting concepts taught in the initial training may be helpful several months after the implementation training. Then, as time passes, additional ongoing training should take place about new features and tools.

Appoint technology champion(s)

It’s likely that the initial technology implementation featured a leader or group of leaders responsible for the complex process of overseeing the effort and all its components. This leadership structure should persist long past the initial implementation.

Depending on the size of your company or team taking on the new technology, this can be one person or several people. A large municipal department, for instance, may appoint a council of strategic advisors to oversee and maintain the long-term efforts associated with a new technology implementation.

These people should meet regularly to craft new trainings and other initiatives to ensure that the technology’s use is progressing. They should also come from different divisions or disciplines across a company to ensure every perspective is represented.

Initiate internal user groups

A great way to embrace a continuous-improvement approach to a new construction technology implementation is to form an internal user group. This group is designed to meet regularly to share knowledge of the new technology and explore new possibilities of how the tool can be used.

Perhaps the best way to make these groups effective is to make them social as well. Have them meet after working hours so they feel more informal and community oriented, rather than just another meeting during the workday.

Devise external knowledge sharing

Equally as critical may be coming up with ways for external knowledge sharing on a new technology. While internal user groups are tremendously effective in expanding a company’s use of a new technology over the long term, it’s important that construction firms have a way to bring in external knowledge, too.

Attending or organizing industry events on new technology, or starting one that brings in like-minded users from other organizations, are all ways to channel external knowledge that will pay dividends long into the future.

Conduct regular technology audits

No matter how long a tool has been in place and how knowledgeable people may be on it, construction leaders should get into the habit of conducting regular, formal audits on the technology. Whether you bring in an outside group to conduct the audit or use your internal technology leadership team, doing this ensures that the technology remains effective at improving your firm’s efficiency and solving new problems that arise over time.  

Embrace failure

Don’t worry if everything isn’t perfect. New technology implementations can be messy. Try to embrace the small failures that will inevitably come, allowing you to iterate to ultimately maximize the value of the new technology. After all, such failures are often the best learning opportunities.

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And if we can just add a tip of our own here:

Ask your recent WECA Apprenticeship Grad for help

WECA apprentices get training on multiple construction technologies during the course of their program. Your WECA Grad may be just the person to help you get the most out of your construction tech.

 

 

Helping Your Non-Electrician Construction Professional Employees Gain Electrical Job Site Fundamentals

Our contractors asked, and WECA delivered.

Essential training for non-electrician construction professionals:

The WECA Project Engineer to Project Manager

(PE to PM) Program

Get acquainted with a quick video:

 

 

And now learn a whole lot more:

The WECA Project Engineer to Project Manager (PE to PM) Program

Providing training in electrical concepts, code, and best practices for non-electrician construction professionals, WECA's PE to PM Program was designed and developed in close consultation with our contractors. It's designed to give construction professionals--including Project Engineers who have a background in construction but little or no electrician-specific training--the electrical fundamentals and crucial concepts they need to talk the talk and walk the walk on your projects. 

The PE to PM Training Path is made up of five online courses which should be taken in the following order:
 

1. Practical Electrical Theory is an online, self-paced introduction to electrical theory, laws, and circuits. Course topics include:

• Atomic Theory
• Ohm’s Law
• Series Circuits
• Parallel Circuits

Learn more and enroll here.

2. Subject Indexing and Code is an online, self-paced course in which students will learn how to effectively navigate and answer code-related questions in the National Electrical Code book and complete the calculations needed for electrical installations. Course topics include:

• NEC Subject Indexing
• Conductor Sizing and Protection
• Raceway, Box Fill, and Conduit Fill Calculations
• Service Sizing, Clearances, and Terminations
• Wiring Methods, Special Equipment and Occupancies
• Grounding and Bonding
• Motors
• General Equipment, Lighting and Panelboards

Learn more and enroll here.

3. Electrical Wiring Methods and Installations is an online, self-paced introduction to the most used wiring methods with emphasis on proper installation and correctly applying electrical code. Course topics include:

• Installation basics
• National electrical code
• Workmanship standards
• Identification of methods

Learn more and enroll here.

4. Job Costs and Estimating Basics is an online hybrid (a scheduled instructor-led introduction and otherwise self-paced) course which introduces estimating job costs, material and labor for electrical installations. Course topics include:

• Material estimations
• Labor estimations
• Voltage drop as applied to installation
• Total job cost analysis

Learn more and enroll here.

5. Commercial Electrical Blueprint Reading is an online, scheduled, instructor-led course in which students learn how to coordinate cut sheets, submittals, the NEC and more with digital blueprints to plan electrical installation for commercial construction from the ground up. 

Learn more and enroll here.

FAQs

Q: Is the PE to PM Program for Project Engineers only?
A: Nope! Any construction industry professional (for instance, General Contractors, Construction Managers, etc.) who requires a grounding in electrical concepts, the National Electric Code, and best practices on the electrical job site can benefit from this program. 

Q: Does the WECA discount structure for Member Contractors and their employees apply to the PE to PM program?
A: Yes, discounts on these classes are available to WECA Member Contractors and their employees as a WECA membership benefit. Members: Please log in to your secured member dashboard to download the PE to PM program discount rate sheet, or call our office for more information. Member employees: Please speak to your contractor about accessing a discount.

Q: How long does it take to complete the program?
A: The program is modularized and was designed to accommodate individual choice in the intensity and speed of completion. Motivated students might complete it in as little as 6 months. A student who would like to integrate the concepts more slowly, or who is combining this program with other on-the-job training, might prefer to enroll in only one course per quarter, taking approximately 18 months to complete the program.

Q: Will the timing of the classes interfere with job duties?
A: The program has been designed for busy working professionals and should not interfere with full-time job duties. All of the courses are fully online. Three of the courses are entirely self-paced. One of the courses has an instructor-led introduction, which is held online in the evening, and then the remainder is self-paced. The final course is scheduled, online, instructor-led, but classes occur on weeknight evenings and one Saturday.

Q: I'm a construction professional who has had some electrical training already. Can I skip a class? 
A: WECA recommends the full program, taken in the order outlined above. However, if you've had previous electrical training (for instance, by taking some WECA GetWired! classes), we recommend you review the course outlines closely, and then enroll in whatever is most appropriate for you. Call WECA and talk to one of our client services specialists if you're not sure what to take.

Q: Does WECA provide a certificate of completion at the end of this program?
A: Yes, a student who successfully completes all five courses in the PE to PM Program Path with be granted a certificate of completion from WECA. (Credit towards the certificate for alternative courses previously taken at WECA will be considered on a case-by-case basis.)

Q: I'm ready to get started (or to get my employees started) in this program! What do I do next
A: Enroll online through our PE to PM Course Catalog, or call our office at 1-877-444-9322 for enrollment guidance.

Enroll your employees (and be sure to utilize WECA's member training discounts) today!

 

 

 

* Cal/OSHA Guidance on Requirements to Protect Workers from Coronavirus
* Supplemental Toolbox Talks COVID-19
* Coronavirus Toolbox Talk
* Fact Sheet for Pandemics
* Coronavirus - Workplace, School and Home Guidance
* COVID-19 Tool Cleaning Protocols
* United States Department of Labor: COVID-19
* CDC COVID-19 Risk Assessment Flowchart
* EDD Coronavirus Resources for WECA Community

These, and more, are always available on WECA's COVID-19 Advisory Page.

Celebrating Our First Two Years in Phoenix!

In Their Own Words: How Does the WECA Arizona Commercial Electrical Apprenticeship Program Benefit the Apprentices Enrolled?

In January 2021, WECA expanded into the state of Arizona and opened its first training facility in Phoenix's Sky Harbor Business Park under the skillful guidance of WECA Arizona Apprenticeship Manager and Instructor Keith Smart. 

We began instruction for our inaugural commercial electrical apprenticeship class in Arizona that month, training the employees of WECA Arizona founding member contractor Corbins. Corbins was soon joined by further member contractors and apprentices as word of the quality of WECA's program spread through Arizona. 

In May 2021, WECA's Arizona Commercial Electrical Apprenticeship Program also received college credit recommendations from the National College Credit Recommendation Service (NCCRS). NCCRS college credit recommendations provide WECA commercial electrical apprentices in Arizona with the ability to gain access to college credit for completion of the program by using credit recommendations set forth by the NCCRS.

And in January 2023, WECA proudly graduated its inaugural Arizona Commercial Electrical Apprenticeship Class of 2022 with a memorable graduation celebration at the DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Hotel Phoenix on Saturday, January 7th.

Our first two years in Arizona have been successful and gratifying, and we eagerly look forward to continuing to bring our world-class apprenticeship and training programs and business services for commercial electrical contractors to the Copper State. 

Apply Today!

Get paid to start a new career as a Low Voltage Technician with WECA's Low Voltage Apprenticeship program. Get hands-on learning and real-world skills in the classroom and on-the-job, and get paid while doing it. We currently have high need for Low Voltage apprentice applicants in California, so click below to apply, or share this with someone looking to get trained for a well-paid career with no student debt.

Learn more about WECA's Low Voltage Apprenticeship program below.

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WECA's apprenticeship programs have been called the best in the West. High graduation rates; great reviews from apprentices and contractors alike; to-the-point, up-to-date curriculum and on-the-job training, and a dedicated, experienced teaching staff and administration all contribute to the success of these programs.

Each apprentice enrolled in the Low Voltage Apprenticeship program works under the supervision of a journeyperson technician installing and testing, servicing and maintaining systems utilizing the transmission and/or transference of voice, sound, video and digital signals for commercial, educational, security and entertainment purposes, as well as for fire, life and safety purposes.

A WECA apprentice's tuition costs are paid for by the WECA member contractors who employ them. WECA apprentices attend classes in an accelerated and intensive format consisting of full-time classroom training and hands-on labs for consecutive weeks every five to seven months. Each two-week session is equal to one semester of classroom instruction. The rest of the time, apprentices are learning on the job and getting paid to do it! No college debt here. This is the alternative path to a rewarding and well-paying career.

WECA's Low Voltage Apprenticeship program is a three-year commitment to classroom and paid on-the-job training. We're actively seeking apprentices for our member contractors in California. Right now, there's little to no wait time for qualified applicants, so what are you waiting for? Click here to learn more and apply today!

Not for you? Please forward this email to someone in California who might be interested!

First Year, First Semester Commercial Electrical Apprentices Learn CPR in Virtual Reality; Apply Newfound Skills in Hands-On Labs









In WECA's Apprenticeship Program, the future of learning is today. Here are some pics of WECA's new first year, first semester Commercial Electrical apprentices in Utah utilizing Meta Quest VR headsets in the classroom last week, to learn how to safely and effectively administer CPR on-the-job. Exploring cutting-edge virtual reality for learning helps apprentices simulate real-world CPR conditions, gives them critical experience if the need arises, and sets them apart with advanced safety knowledge.

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Also, Explore the Three Ways You Can Take the GetWired Path to an Electrician Trainee Program Certificate

WECA's Jobsite Skills Acquisition Companion Guide for Electrician Trainees pursuing the WECA ET Program Certification is meant to help you track your jobsite skills practice and progress. This guide can help you and your employer tie what you're learning in the classroom--especially if you've opted for fully online and/or self-paced course options--to what you're doing on the jobsite.



Download the guide here.

There are now three different ways for Electrician Trainees to take the WECA GetWired Path to an Electrician Trainee Program Certificate. Learn all about it with this video:

Take Advantage of WECA's Financial Wellness Benefit for Apprentices: SmartDollar


 

SmartDollar is a financial wellness benefit for WECA apprentices. We announced our partnership with the Dave Ramsey-founded online financial wellness platform in January, 2021 to provide our apprentices with a sound foundation in personal finance management. This benefit is available to all WECA apprentices free of charge. Not yet signed up for SmartDollar? No worries -- scroll to the bottom of this article for instructions!

What is SmartDollar? SmartDollar is a step-by-step approach to handling money with the number-one authority in personal finance, Dave Ramsey. More than 4.5 million people have started on Dave's plan and taken control of their money, and you can too! SmartDollar will equip you to get out of debt, on a budget, and on your way to a strong financial foundation.

The average person pays off $9,405 of debt and saves $6,127 in the first twelve months, and you can too!

"This program is powerful yet simple to understand. The Baby Steps make understanding how to win with money easy! Dave's lessons are fun, informative, and incredibly encouraging. It really doesn't feel like I'm taking a financial course. It's more like learning finances from a good friend...or a financially savvy stand-up comedian! The online tools are fantastic as well, and I love being able to 'ASK DAVE' any question and do my budget online. Love it all!" - Recent participant

With SmartDollar, you'll learn how to...

• Jump-start your money
• Knock out debt
• Secure your dream home
• Retire in style
• Demystify your credit score

How does SmartDollar work? With so many ways to engage in SmartDollar activities and content, SmartDollar Points have been designed to encourage users to establish true behavior change. (Check out the graph below for a quick rundown). The greater the importance and required time of each activity, the greater the amount of points that can be earned. For example, each Core Lesson video completed is worth 250 points. Completing a shorter Deep Dive video is worth 50 points. Tracking a transaction in EveryDollar is only worth 20 points, but users are encouraged to track all their financial transactions with no points limitations. These example activities are key for building the confidence you need to reach your financial goals.






 

Taking advantage of your free financial wellness benefit, SmartDollar, is easy!

To set up your account after accessing your dashboard, click either of the links shown as highlighted in the screenshot to the right of this paragraph. You'll be taken to a page with a SmartDollar enrollment link, where you will be able to set up immediate access to this important benefit.

Ready to get started? Login to your GOWECA dashboard

Husband of California Labor Federation Head Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher Will Run for State Senate. He plans to run for the seat now held by Senate Pro-Tem Toni Atkins, who will term out of office in 2024. The former State Assemblyman has been on the Board of Supervisors since 2018. He has collected more than $1 million since he opened a campaign committee several months ago, and he has endorsements from San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria, former state Sen. Christine Kehoe, Lemon Grove Mayor Racquel Vasquez, and San Diego City Council President Sean Elo-Rivera. Story

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If you build it, they will come. A report from the Legislative Analyst’s Office highlighted California’s growing share of the nation’s homeless population and a worsening problem despite significant increases in state spending. About 29 percent of the total homeless population in the U.S. lives in California — a 6-point increase in the state's share of the national population since 2020. And according to data presented Monday to the Senate Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review, the number of homeless Californians has risen by nearly 10,000 since that year. New state data show that homeless people that seek local support services are unlikely to move to seek services from other regions. The LAO report cited data from the Homeless Data Integration System, suggesting that in the last three years, homelessness in California has not been an issue of migration. California has increased its spending on homelessness services from $515 million in 2018 to roughly $4.6 billion in the current cycle.

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Cal/OSHA’s Non-Emergency COVID-19 Regulation is Approved and in Effect for Next Two Years On February 3, 2023, California’s Office of Administrative Law approved Cal/OSHA’s COVID-19 Non-Emergency Regulation (NER). The NER is now the operative COVID-19 regulation for most California employers. Cal/OSHA also released FAQs. Overall, the NER is somewhat less burdensome for employers than the prior Cal/OSHA Emergency Temporary Standard (“3rd Revised ETS”). More

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Katie Porter invites Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher to 2023 State of the Union Congresswoman Katie Porter, who is seeking Dianne Feinstein’s Senate seat, invited the head of the California Labor Federation – and former state legislator – Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher as her guest for President Biden’s 2023 State of the Union address February 7. Porter, who narrowly eked out a win in November against Republican Scott Baugh, is a favorite of progressives. She faces challengers from her left: Oakland Congresswoman Barbara Lee, a liberal firebrand, and her right: Congressman Adam Schiff of the San Gabriel Valley. Schiff was endorsed recently by former Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

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Another Battle for a Fresno County Supervisor Seat Fresh off the heels of a wild Saturday that saw Fresno City Councilman Garry Bredefeld launch – and Asm. Jim Patterson abandon – a challenge against Fresno County Supervisor Steve Brandau, another seat on the panel is now set for a heated battle next March. On Wednesday, Fresno City Councilman Luis Chavez kicked off a challenge to his former boss and political mentor, Fresno County Supervisor Sal Quintero, seeking to represent much of central and south Fresno on the county board. Story

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Buy American, If You Can During his State of the Union address, President Joe Biden detailed his plan to require all construction materials on federal infrastructure projects to be made in the U.S. The president touted what he called key steps in boosting the economy and fostering his “Buy America” policy. He did not say when the proposed standards would be released. He listed some of the types of materials and projects that would fall under the policy: “Lumber, glass, drywall, fiber optic cable, and American roads, bridges, and highways are going to be made with American products as well.” Story

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Walsh to Bust Heads in NHL Labor Secretary Marty Walsh will leave his post to become executive director of the NHL Players’ Association. Walsh got a green light last week, though the formality of an official yes vote hasn’t happened yet. His contract is expected to include a roughly $3 million annual salary and allow him to live in Boston. Walsh would be the first Cabinet secretary in the line of succession to leave the Biden administration after a remarkably stable first two years. Walsh emerged as a candidate for the position only within the last three weeks. Sources said Walsh rejected multiple attempts to include him earlier in the process, but he had a change of heart once he was not selected as Biden’s next chief of staff. Walsh’s departure would also create a new Cabinet opening. Other senior officials have left, but the Labor Secretary looks poised to be the first Cabinet role to require a new Senate confirmation since the early days of the administration. Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi has been making calls on behalf of former NY Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, urging the White House and labor leaders to support him as the next Secretary of Labor, but former California Labor Commissioner Julie Su is also in the running, and she is not a middle-aged white guy.

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Sacramento, Calif., $1.3B Airport Expansion Detailed Officials in Sacramento, Calif., unveiled plans for a $1.3-billion expansion of Sacramento International Airport that they plan to begin construction on next year. The Sacramento County Dept. of Airports detailed the plans dubbed “SMForward” on Feb. 1. The expansion will be split into six projects to be built through 2027. These include the construction of a $391-million rental car facility, a $140-million pedestrian walkway connecting Terminal B to Concourse B, $380-million Terminal B parking garage, additional gates and amenities at Terminal A and Concourse B and other improvements for connecting to ground transportation. Story

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1,857 bills have been introduced so far this year, including:

AB 261 (Kalra - D) Establishing the California Golden Chanterelle (Cantharellus californicus) as the official state mushroom. Heady stuff out of Sacramento!

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Progress 2022 According to the Labor Fed’s press release, “Working people will never be able to outspend the big corporations when it comes to politics. It is only by coming together to act collectively that we can take on the bosses and the billionaires to win meaningful change for workers. Through Central Labor Councils and statewide campaigns, our members have a voice in every part of the political process. Our Force for Progress scorecard is a tool to hold politicians accountable for standing with workers on the core issues that matter to our unions. Scorecard

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Touring WECA San Diego Training Facility Newly elected San Diego City Councilmember Kent Lee’s Council Representative, Dustin Nguyen, took a tour of WECA’s San Diego facility on January 24. Dustin was already aware of the abundance of work that needed to be done in San Diego, and Jeff Van de Moere and Rex Hime of WECA were there to give him a tour of why WECA and its members are capable and ready to get to work. Dustin’s walk-through of WECA’s residential, commercial, and low voltage training facilities, as well as talking with WECA instructor Neil Pesarillo on opportunities and benefits for our apprentices and trainees, showed Dustin and Councilmember Lee’s office the critical role WECA plays in the community – helping San Diego finish critical jobs safely, efficiently, and effectively. Do you know someone who should tour? Let WECA know.

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Money Flows Kevin McCarthy raised $12.3 million on Wednesday evening at his first major fundraising event since his bitter battle for the House speaker’s gavel last month. The high-dollar event (tickets started at $50,000) brought in a record haul for McCarthy, though it fell short of the high-end projection of the $20 million organizers said it might raise. Still, the event featuring nearly every new House Republican committee chair was expected to be one of his biggest in D.C. this year. Lobbyist and McCarthy confidant Jeff Miller hosted the fundraiser, and the list of co-hosts included some of his other top allies and former staffers now on K Street whose collective roster of clients reads like a who’s who of major companies and trade groups with stakes across major policy fights before Congress: PhRMA, Mastercard, Apple, Altria, the American Petroleum Institute and the American Investment Council. So, is it good that he raised $12 million or bad that he fell short of the $20 million goal? You decide.

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California Could Start Charging Drivers More for Owning Heavy Trucks, and SUVs California could charge weight-based registration fees for heavier passenger vehicles, such as trucks and SUVs, under a proposal making its way through the state legislature. Assembly member Chris Ward, a San Diego Democrat, wants the California Transportation Commission to study the costs and benefits of levying a weight fee for heavy cars to pay for street safety improvement projects. Story

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Housing Bill Introduced Sen. Scott Wiener wants to make permanent a 2017 law that allows streamlined projects in areas that are lagging their state housing targets. Wiener and allies believe SB 35 has been a powerful housing tool. San Francisco Mayor London Breed shares Wiener’s impatience with the kind of local resistance SB 35 can override. The extension bill adds to the many other housing element and expediting bills in the pipeline. That’s not all: the Wiener bill could intensify a labor fracas over job standards. It doesn't include the “skilled and trained” workforce mandate from SB 35, but it would require prevailing wages and healthcare for larger projects. Supportive carpenters’ unions believe those wage and benefit guarantees are better than stringent labor rules that stymie construction. The State Building and Construction Trades Council insists on skilled and trained labor to give union contractors an edge. A deal last year sent rival Trades and Carpenters streamlining bills to Newsom.

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US Labor Department Decides Against Takeover of Arizona's Occupational Safety Program OSHA, or the Occupational Safety and Health Administration within the federal Department of Labor, announced Feb. 14 that it is withdrawing a proposal to revoke Arizona's plan for occupational safety and health. Arizona is one of 22 states operating its own program, under federal oversight, with the federal OSHA agency handling the rest. Story

 

Utah Founding Member Contractor Hunt Electric's Executive Team Visits; First Year, First Semester Commercial Electrical Apprentices Use Oculus VR Headsets to Learn CPR
 

WECA was excited to host Utah Founding Member Contractor Hunt Electric for a tour of our new Salt Lake City-region training facility on Thursday, February 2.

Talon Pobuda, the Apprenticeship Manager and Instructor for the WECA Utah Commercial Electrical Apprenticeship Program, gave members of Hunt's executive team (including Troy Gregory, President and CEO; Cody Eaton, Operations Manager; Ibi Guevara, Vice President of Business Development and Marketing; Tyler Staveley, Workforce Manager; Karen Powers, Human Resources Director; and other Division Heads) a tour of the facility while classes and labs were in session.

Of the visit and WECA's working relationship with Hunt Electric, Talon says "Every interaction with the Hunt team has been a pleasure. I am so glad we had the executive team out and were able to show them what we do here. I am grateful to have Hunt as our partners to make the Utah electrical workforce the best it can be."

Additionally, Cody says that "Hunt's executive team got a first-class tour of the new training facility from Talon; he was an awesome host and our team was very impressed."

Thank you, Hunt Electric, for visiting our new facility and training program! We're happy that you got to see your employees' educational development in action!






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In WECA's Apprenticeship Program, the future of learning is today. Here are some pics of WECA's new first year, first semester Commercial Electrical apprentices in Utah utilizing Meta Quest VR headsets in the classroom last week, to learn how to safely and effectively administer CPR on-the-job. Exploring cutting-edge virtual reality for learning helps apprentices simulate real-world CPR conditions, gives them critical experience if the need arises, and sets them apart with advanced safety knowledge.

Meet WECA Apprenticeship Applicants In Your Area

RSVP Today!

We are excited to host the "Jump Start Your Career" job fair at WECA's Fresno training facility on February 22 from 4 to 7 p.m.!

But, your help is needed to make this event a success! This is a great opportunity for Fresno-area member contractors to connect with apprentice applicants about career opportunities in the trades as an electrician, and to share information about your company.

We will be providing information about the different pathways and programs we offer at WECA and some hands-on activities.

Please let us know if you want to be included in this fabulous event to showcase all the great things about a careers as an electrician. WECA will provide tables and chairs for the event booths, as well as meeting space, if you would like to conduct interviews at the event.

To register to represent your company at this event, please email Wendy Flanagan at wflanagan@goweca.com or Diane Trotter at dtrotter@goweca.com.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Download the "Jump Start Your Career" Job Fair flyer here.

Content courtesy of: California Department of Industrial Relations

The Labor Commissioner’s Office offers educational seminars across the state to provide an overview of prevailing wage and apprenticeship standards compliance and public works enforcement. Discussions will include awarding body responsibilities, coverage determinations, and prequalification of contractors, contractor registration and Project Registration (formerly known as PWC-100). Some seminars are focused on requirements for specific groups such as contractors or public agencies. Follow the registration links below for more detail about each seminar.

Click below to find and register for seminars.
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Access tutorials on certified payroll reporting below:

Module 1: Contractor and Project Information (3:26) 

Module 2: Entering Payroll Information - Part 1 (3:10)

Module 3: Entering Payroll Information - Part 2 (4:13)

Module 4: Submitting Payroll via XML (4:01)

For more information and to find exact legal definitions and language please see the Public Works Chapter of the California Labor Code.

Also, Explore the Three Ways Your Employees Can Take the GetWired Path to an Electrician Trainee Program Certificate

WECA's Jobsite Skills Acquisition Companion Guide for Electrician Trainees pursuing the WECA ET Program Certification is meant to help them track their jobsite skills practice and progress. This guide can help them tie what they're learning in the classroom--especially if they've opted for fully online and/or self-paced course options--to what they're doing on your jobsite.



Download the flyer to share with your employees here.
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There are now three different ways for your Electrician Trainees to take the WECA GetWired Path to an Electrician Trainee Program Certificate. Learn all about it with this video:

* Cal/OSHA Guidance on Requirements to Protect Workers from Coronavirus
* Supplemental Toolbox Talks COVID-19
* Coronavirus Toolbox Talk
* Fact Sheet for Pandemics
* Coronavirus - Workplace, School and Home Guidance
* COVID-19 Tool Cleaning Protocols
* United States Department of Labor: COVID-19
* CDC COVID-19 Risk Assessment Flowchart
* EDD Coronavirus Resources for WECA Community

These, and more, are always available on WECA's COVID-19 Advisory Page.

‘Recession Is Underway’ For Home Builders Construction Dive has concluded the recession is here. The housing industry downturn is poised to push the U.S. economy into a mild recession this year, according to the National Association of Home Builders’ chief economist. Elevated inflation and mortgage rates coupled with the high building material and construction costs that have plagued the industry since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic continue to take a toll on residential contractors, Rob Dietz said at a press briefing at the International Builders’ Show in Las Vegas. 2022 was the first time in 11 years that single-family starts declined, falling an estimated 12% to 999,000 units, the NAHB reported. “Our thesis is that recession is underway,” Dietz said. Story

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Republican U.S. House Candidates Outperformed 2020’s Presidential Results In 327 Districts Last Year Republicans in 327 congressional districts last year outperformed Donald Trump’s (R) 2020 vote totals in those same district boundaries. Democratic House candidates, meanwhile, outperformed Joe Biden in 68 districts (16%). Florida’s 26th Congressional District saw the largest swing towards the same party. Incumbent Mario Diaz-Balart (R) improved on Trump’s margin of victory in the district by 23.5 percentage points. Alaska’s at-large congressional district saw the largest swing in a district that changed party control. Incumbent Mary Peltola (D) won the state by 10 percentage points in 2022 after Trump won the state by 10.1 percentage points in 2020, resulting in a 20.1 percentage point swing toward Democrats. In two districts, the margins of victory in the 2020 presidential election and 2022 midterms matched: Texas’ 9th and Texas’ 35th.

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A New Pacific Legal Foundation Documentary, Trust Us, Reveals the Government’s ‘Expert’ Problem For nearly every aspect of American life—the food you eat, the house you live in, the way you raise your kids—there is an expert in the federal government who thinks you’re doing it wrong. In Trust Us, a new documentary from Pacific Legal Foundation, you’ll see how the U.S. federal government has funneled power to unelected experts who believe they can engineer solutions to all the country’s problems, with often-disastrous results for the American people. Trust Us is now available to watch for free on YouTube, Tubi, and commercial-free on Amazon.

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Arizona Republican Leaders Don’t Want Gov. Hobbs To Use Her Leftover Inaugural Fund for Democrats The top two Arizona Republican lawmakers want Gov. Katie Hobbs to put money left over from the inaugural celebration into a state account--where it can’t be used to elect more Democrats. In a hand-delivered letter Thursday, House Speaker Ben Toma and Senate President Warren Petersen called on her to surrender control of what’s left from the more than $1.5 million Capitol Media Services first reported she collected for the Jan. 5 celebration. At the same time, the costs listed totaled only about $207,000. Story

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Are Public Employee Unions Unconstitutional? A Commentary by Michael Barone. “How did it come to pass that public employee unions, which scarcely existed 60 years ago, have come to run public schools and myriad state and local government agencies? Answers to this question, which few people think about these days, come from Philip K. Howard’s latest book, “Not Accountable,” accompanied as in his earlier books (“The Rule of Nobody,” “Try Common Sense”) by outspoken outrage and generous dollops of common sense. The rise of public employee unions in the 1960s was not inevitable. President Franklin Roosevelt, who wanted his New Deal programs to deliver results, explained that “The process of collective bargaining, as usually understood, cannot be transplanted into the public service.” That was in 1937, when New Deal legislation sparked the drives that vastly increased private-sector unionization. In 1955, when private-sector unionization percentages peaked, AFL-CIO President George Meany opined confidently that it was “impossible to bargain collectively with the government.” More

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What is the Debt Ceiling? The U.S. federal government has reached the limit on the amount of debt it is legally allowed to accrue. Congress sets this amount, known as the debt limit, and has the power to raise it to meet the country’s financial obligations. Once the debt limit is reached, the Treasury Department has a limited number of tools, called extraordinary measures, that allow the Treasury to keep paying the government’s bills. The debt limit is the total amount of money the U.S. federal government is authorized to borrow to meet its existing financial obligations, including Social Security and Medicare benefits, salaries of members of the military, interest on the national debt, tax refunds, and other payments. It is impossible to overstate the negative consequences that would occur if the United States were to default on its debt. Click here to learn more.

By the Numbers:

$31.381 trillion: The current federal debt limit, which was last raised in December of 2021.

102: The number of times the U.S. government has increased the debt limit since World War II.

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2024 California Elections Democratic state senator and longtime appropriations chair Anthony Portantino officially announced his bid for CA-30 on Monday, hoping to beat out other ambitious LA-based Democrats for Rep. Adam Schiff’s seat. His challengers may include Assemblymember Laura Friedman, Los Angeles Unified School District board member Nick Melvoin, actor Ben Savage, and activist and 2022 challenger Maebe A. Girl.

In related news, Rep. Katie Porter will hold a fundraiser in Silicon Valley next month for her newly launched Senate bid, making her the latest critic of tech giants to make the pilgrimage to their cash-flush backyards. Porter will headline a fundraiser at the Palo Alto home of Sarah Sands, whose husband is venture capitalist Greg Sands. Like a fundraiser hosted by Sands for Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) earlier this month, the event was organized by the Bay Area fundraising group Electing Women Bay Area, according to the invite. The suggested contribution amount is $1,000.

And finally, Rep. Nancy Pelosi on Thursday endorsed Rep. Adam Schiff for the Senate primary, backing the former House Intelligence Committee chair only on the condition that Sen. Dianne Feinstein opts not to run again. “If Senator Feinstein decides to seek re-election, she has my whole-hearted support. If she decides not to run, I will be supporting House Intelligence Committee Chair Adam Schiff, who knows well the nexus between a strong democracy and a strong economy,” Pelosi (D-CA)—a two-time speaker of the House who stepped down from leadership earlier this year—said in an email. “In his service in the House, he has focused on strengthening our democracy with justice and on building an economy that works for all.”

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Labor provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act kicked in over the weekend for projects that want to take advantage of tax incentives. They’re meant to boost wages and job training opportunities. But developers, contractors, and investors need further guidance to maximize the IRA’s roughly $270 billion in clean energy tax credits. They’re still trying to figure out exactly when the apprenticeship requirements apply, how exemptions from the requirements are interpreted, and how to determine wages for specific renewable energy jobs. “If one party is willing to assume the risk of non-compliance, then projects are moving forward,” said Hilary Lefko, a renewable energy tax partner at Norton Rose Fulbright. “But if no one is willing to accept the risk of the consequences of not being compliant, then that’s halting investment, that’s halting construction, and projects won’t get built until people are more comfortable with the rules.” More broadly, the layering of domestic-content provisions on top of the clean-energy push complicates things. E&E News.

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Vacation Rentals Boom in Phoenix As Phoenix, Arizona, counts down to the Super Bowl on Feb. 12, the clock is also ticking for the region’s short-term rental owners, who are frantically getting their properties ready for the thousands of visitors, reports the Phoenix Business Journal. As many of the hotels in the area have already filled up, some homeowners have been able to list their properties on short-term rental sites like Airbnb and snag rates as high as $10,000 each night. For instance, Hózhó Scottsdale—an 11-bedroom, 12-bathroom property in Scottsdale complete with a lazy river—is already booked for the entire week before the Super Bowl for $11,770 a night. Maybe WECA’s Bob Bartlett could rent you a room!

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California’s High-Speed Rail Gains Another Capitol Hill Detractor The seemingly never-ending bullet train project didn’t have a terrific 2022, and, if trends are any indicator, things won’t look much better in 2023. For the newest member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, the stalling out of California’s bullet train means it's time to get serious about road expansions on the Valley floor. During The Sun’s interview with Rep. John Duarte (R–Modesto), Duarte touched on the major need to improve transportation in the region, starting with two key numbers: 5 and 99. More

Our new video explores the benefits for Arizona electrical contractors in enrolling their employees in

WECA Electrical Apprenticeship
 

Pro Tip: WECA's California and Utah Programs Offer All these Benefits to Contractors, Too!



 

You're Cordially Invited to the 2023 WECEF Claws for a Cause Crab Feed Fundraiser and Board Installation


 

2023 WECEF Claws for a Cause Crab Feed Fundraiser and Board Installation

When: Friday, March 10, 2023

Time: 5:00 to 8:00 PM

Where: WECA California HQ

3695 Bleckely St.

Rancho Cordova, CA 95655
 

After a three-year hiatus, the Western Electrical Contractors Education Foundation (WECEF) is pleased to invite you to once again come out for a good cause on March 10th! Join us for WECEF's annual fundraiser and crab feed, to support education and careers in the electrical and low voltage trades. This fundraiser helps WECEF create more opportunities for student scholarships, materials, and improvements to WECA labs, classrooms, and the electrical industry.

Please join us for the installation of the 2023 WECA Board of Directors, Apprenticeship Training Trust Board of Trustees, and Health and Welfare Board of Trustees at this event, in addition to a delicious dinner of fresh Dungeness crab, sides, and festive libations, celebrating in support of WECEF's mission, and mingling with your peers and industry professionals.

This is a "bring your own butter" event!

King Crab Sponsor ($1,000)

• Includes (6) dinner tickets, reserved table, acknowledgement from podium, newsletter & social media recognition, announcement on WECA and WECEF websites. We'll contact you to get the names of your additional guests.

Snow Crab Sponsor ($750)

• Includes (4) dinner tickets, acknowledgement from podium, newsletter & social media recognition, announcement on WECA and WECEF websites. We'll contact you to get the names of your additional guests.

Blue Crab Sponsor ($500)

• Includes (2) dinner tickets, acknowledgement from podium, newsletter & social media recognition, announced on WECA and WECEF websites. We'll contact you to get the names of your additional guests.

WECEF Crab Feed Dinner Ticket ($75/person)
 

Sign up for a sponsorship or purchase individual dinner tickets at the link, and thank you for your continued support of electrical and low voltage education!

Reserve your sponsorship package and/or dinner tickets today!

WECA's Commercial Electrical Apprenticeship Program Now Serving Commercial Electrical Contractors and Their Apprentices in the Salt Lake City Area






 

This week is a historic week for WECA's Utah Commercial Electrical Apprenticeship Program and Salt Lake City-area training facility in Woods Cross! Monday was the first day of class for our inaugural cohort of first year, first semester Commercial Electrical apprentices at our brand-new, state-of-the-art training facility!

Don Black, Apprentice Training, IT, and Facilities Director, applauded Utah Apprenticeship Manager/Instructor Talon Pobuda for working tirelessly to get the facility and program ready, and also credited Carolyn Black, Lab and Facilities Technician, with preparing the training aids for the program and Christine Hall, Director of Operations, with making sure that the apprentices were ready to be successful in their new training and career. Countless other WECA staff were also instrumental in making the WECA Utah Commercial Electrical Apprenticeship Program and new training facility a reality, and appreciates all the support from founding Utah member Hunt Electric.

WECA is thrilled to educate and train the next generation of premier commercial electricians in the Beehive State, and looks forward to all that our apprentices will accomplish!

Content Courtesy of: Apprenticeship USA

On August 16, 2022, President Biden signed Public Law 117-369, 136 Stat. 1818, commonly known as the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA), into law. The IRA amended the Internal Revenue Code to add prevailing wage and Registered Apprenticeship requirements for taxpayers constructing, and in some case performing alteration or repair, of qualified clean energy facilities, property, projects, or equipment to qualify for increased tax credit or deduction amounts. The U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) Office of Apprenticeship is committed to supporting the Department of the Treasury (Treasury) and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in the effective implementation of these apprenticeship requirements. The IRS has launched a page dedicated to providing the latest information and guidance on the implementation of the IRA.

By statute, the prevailing wage and apprenticeship requirements generally apply to qualifying facilities where construction begins 60 days or more after Treasury and the IRS publish guidance on those requirements. On November 30, Treasury and the IRS published initial guidance on the prevailing wage and apprenticeship requirements. The publication of guidance on November 30 starts the 60-day period, meaning the prevailing wage and apprenticeship requirements will be operative for facilities where construction begins on or after January 29, 2023.

This webpage provides resources on apprenticeship for background information purposes only. Please consult Notice 2022-61 published by the Internal Revenue Service for guidance on the prevailing wage and apprenticeship requirements.

The IRA is by far our nation’s largest investment in clean energy solutions to date. By pairing climate investment, with the creation of good paying jobs, the IRA’s unparalleled investments to fight the climate crisis will help improve job quality in clean energy industries and incentivize the expansion of workforce training pathways into these jobs. The inclusion of Registered Apprenticeship provisions also enables a talent pipeline for developing this critical workforce and ensures that it is an industry-driven approach with high-quality career pathway opportunities for all workers. By utilizing Registered Apprenticeships, employers can develop and prepare their future workforce, and individuals can obtain paid work experience, receive progressive wage increases, classroom instruction, and a portable, nationally-recognized credential.  

The IRA’s prevailing wage and apprenticeship provisions apply to the: 

• Alternative Fuel Refueling Property Credit  
• Production Tax Credit 
• Credit for Carbon Oxide Sequestration  
• Credit for Production of Clean Hydrogen 
• Clean Fuel Production Credit  
• Investment Tax Credit  
• Advanced Energy Project Credit  
• Energy Efficient Commercial Buildings Deduction 

In addition, the IRA’s prevailing wage provisions apply to the: 

• New Energy Efficient Home Credit 
• Zero-Emission Nuclear Power Production Credit 

Click here to explore more featured resources and read and get answers to Frequently Asked Questions.
 

Thank You to Our Sponsors and Gift Donors for Making Graduation Special! Plus, Watch the Graduation Video and Meet Some of Our Graduates



Thank you to our Arizona Graduation sponsors and gift donors for making the event extra special and memorable for our graduates and their guests!



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Watch: WECA Arizona Class of 2022 Graduation:



Meet Some of the Grads in Our First WECA Arizona Commercial Electrical Graduating Class

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Erik Ramirez

Erik Ramirez, a WECA Arizona Commercial Electrical Apprenticeship Class of 2022 graduate, knew that his WECA education would be exceptional from the first class.

“After transitioning from a different institute over to WECA, in the first class I realized just how much better my education experience was going to be,” says Erik. “WECA’s staff is exceptional, and the instructor [Keith Smart, WECA Arizona Commercial Electrical Apprenticeship Program Manager and Instructor] was always there to support me and answer any question I had."

The quality of WECA’s education has also played a pivotal role in helping Erik prepare for his chosen career.

“Their curriculum offered a full range of topics that cover a lot of the fundamentals needed to succeed in this industry. Many of the hands-on labs were based on real-life situations in the field,” says Erik.

Additionally, Erik’s on-the-job training with his employer, WECA Arizona Founding Member Contractor Corbins, has provided opportunities to work alongside experienced coworkers and gain invaluable experience doing different scopes of work through various projects.

Outside of school and work, Erik credits his family with providing essential support every step of the way.

“The main factor that contributed to my success at WECA and in my career was and still is my family,” says Erik. “Without their support and motivation, I wouldn’t have gotten to where I am today.”

However, we suspect that Erik’s ambition and tenacity has also propelled him along his journey, as evidenced by his post-graduation plans.

“My plans after graduating are to keep growing in my career and knowledge. I won’t settle with just a journeyperson title. I want to be part of the next generation of leaders in the electrical industry,” says Erik.

Congratulations, Erik! We are proud of your hard work, determination, and success, and are confident that you will make an excellent future leader for Arizona’s commercial electrical industry.

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Chase Quillin

For WECA Arizona Commercial Electrical Apprenticeship Class of 2022 graduate Chase Quillin, WECA’s Arizona Commercial Electrical Apprenticeship program and instructor Keith Smart have given him a new perspective on the electrical industry.

“My WECA experience has consisted of constant learning and exposure to new ideas in the electrical field with real-world experience to back it up,” says Chase. “When I go to a job site now, I can understand what it is we are installing and why. With the preparation and knowledge gained at WECA, combined with the skills I’ve gained on-the-job, I am ready to tackle any task presented to me.”

Chase says this is all thanks to Keith Smart, WECA Arizona Commercial Electrical Apprenticeship Program Manager and Instructor.

“Keith is an awesome instructor, and his experience is shown every day in class through his expounding on the material presented and ensuring everyone has a full understanding of the concepts presented,” says Chase.

Outside of the classroom, Chase’s employer – WECA Arizona Founding Member Contractor Corbins – has provided him with forepersons and journeyperson electricians who have not only led him, but showed him how to lead others. Such leadership gave Chase the opportunity to become a lead for his crew in the past year.

Thanks to his high-quality WECA education and steadfast guidance from his employer, Chase’s plans for the future are rock-solid.

“My goal is to continue refining my leadership skills, apply my credits [earned at WECA, whose apprenticeship programs have been awarded college credit recommendations by the National College Credit Recommendation Service] to an Associates degree, and I hope I get the opportunity to become a foreperson to continue passing on my knowledge,” says Chase.

Congratulations, Chase! We are pleased that WECA and Arizona Founding Member Contractor Corbins built up your leadership skills and paved the way for you to tackle the rest of your career in the commercial electrical industry! We wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors.

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Aaron Reali

WECA Arizona Commercial Electrical Apprenticeship Class of 2022 graduate Aaron Reali credits his WECA education with giving him confidence, helping him develop problem-solving skills, and presenting excellent opportunities to lead and learn, and Arizona Commercial Electrical Apprenticeship Program Manager and Instructor Keith Smart with making his time at WECA challenging and rewarding.

“My education and training at WECA were really centered on real-life situations, helped me learn how to problem solve situations at work, gave me the confidence to have conversations with my leads, foremen, and superintendents about the work we’re performing, and I have been given the opportunity [by employer Corbins, a WECA Arizona Founding Member Contractor] to lead teammates. Also, Keith deserves a lot of the credit for the progress a lot of us have made,” says Aaron.

Another benefit of his WECA education, Aaron says, is learning in the classroom alongside his coworkers.

“We can talk about what we learned in class and bounce ideas off each other,” says Aaron. “Keith contributed real work examples and cited personal experiences, which helped a lot of us grasp certain concepts. Hands-on activities in class also helped build confidence in my work.”

Looking back on his WECA experience, Aaron encourages current and future WECA students to ‘take it all in.’

“It goes by so quickly and before you know it, graduation is happening. Really take advantage of the experience and the training. You’ll be surprised what you’re capable of if you just apply yourself. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and volunteer for any opportunity because those can be your door to the next great step in your career,” says Aaron.

When it comes to next steps, Aaron is already carving a definitive pathway for his career in the commercial electrical industry.

“I’ve been given a great opportunity to lead a couple of my teammates in a job we are in right now,” says Aaron. “I’m excited to complete this job and continue to lead in other jobs and soon become a foreman for a couple of years and then transition into a superintendent role. I also plan to work with apprentices and help them out on their path.”

 

WECA Member Contractors Want YOU: Apply Today!


 

Get paid to start a new career as a Low Voltage Technician with WECA's Low Voltage Apprenticeship program. Get hands-on learning and real-world skills in the classroom and on-the-job, and get paid while doing it. We currently have high need for Low Voltage apprentice applicants from Los Angeles County, Orange County, and Kern County, so click below to apply, or share this with someone looking to get trained for a well-paid career with no student debt.

Learn more about WECA's Low Voltage Apprenticeship program below.

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WECA's apprenticeship programs have been called the best in the West. High graduation rates; great reviews from apprentices and contractors alike; to-the-point, up-to-date curriculum and on-the-job training, and a dedicated, experienced teaching staff and administration all contribute to the success of these programs.

Each apprentice enrolled in the Low Voltage Apprenticeship program works under the supervision of a journeyperson technician installing and testing, servicing and maintaining systems utilizing the transmission and/or transference of voice, sound, video and digital signals for commercial, educational, security and entertainment purposes, as well as for fire, life and safety purposes.

A WECA apprentice's tuition costs are paid for by the WECA member contractors who employ them. WECA apprentices attend classes in an accelerated and intensive format consisting of full-time classroom training and hands-on labs for consecutive weeks every five to seven months. Each two-week session is equal to one semester of classroom instruction. The rest of the time, apprentices are learning on the job and getting paid to do it! No college debt here. This is the alternative path to a rewarding and well-paying career.

WECA's Low Voltage Apprenticeship program is a three-year commitment to classroom and paid on-the-job training. We're actively seeking apprentices for our member contractors in California--especially in Los Angeles County, Orange County, and Kern County. Right now, there's little to no wait time for qualified applicants, so what are you waiting for? Click here to learn more and apply today!

Not for you? Please forward this email to someone who might be interested -- especially if they also live in Los Angeles County, Orange County, or Kern County!

Take Advantage of Late Enrollment Fees Waived on Select Instructor-Led GetWired Classes Running in the First Half of the Month

No matter where you are in your Electrician Trainee Program Certificate journey, GetWired has just the class to bring you one step closer to completion.

This February, we've waived late enrollment fees on select instructor-led GetWired 102, 103, 104, 202, 203, 204, and 302 classes running in the first half of the month -- some of which are offered with your choice of onsite in-person labs or online labs. Classes start soon, so don't wait -- visit our course catalog to enroll in your desired course today!

And if you prefer to get things done on your own time, at your own pace, be sure to check out the self-paced online course option for GetWired 101-104.

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GetWired 102: Introduction to the Basic Installation of Lighting Fixtures and Branch Circuits, is the second course in the path to an Electrician Trainee Program Certificate with WECA.

This 42-hour course expands on the theories and applications taught in our 101 courses. Core competencies include: GFCI and AFCI; series circuits and parallel circuits; luminaries, fixtures, ballasts, and lamps, and more.

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GetWired 103: Continuation of Lighting Branch Circuits & Introduction to Special Purpose Outlets, is the third course in the path to an Electrician Trainee Program Certificate with WECA.

This 42-hour course focuses on installing lighting branch-circuits in dwelling units while exploring NEC requirements for safe installations and standard industry practices. Core competencies include: conduction in liquid and gases; batteries and other sources of electricity; inrush current, voltage drop and use of Ohm's Law in calculating basic measurements, and more.

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GetWired 104: Special Systems & Single-Phase Transformer Theory in Residential Electrical Applications, is the fourth course in the path to an Electrician Trainee Program Certificate with WECA.

This 42-hour course expands your area of expertise into a variety of special applications. Core competencies include: single-phase transformers; special purpose outlets for electric heating and air conditioning; gas and oil central heating systems, and more.

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GetWired 202: Three-Phase Electrical Systems, Conductors and Overcurrent Protection, Grounding, Wiring Methods, Basic Trigonometry and Vectors, is the sixth course in the path to an Electrician Trainee Program Certificate with WECA.

This 36-hour course expands on the concepts and skills built in the 201 courses. Topics covered include: conductors and overcurrent protection; types of three-phase transformers; three-phase transformer calculations and connections, and more.

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GetWired 203: Raceway Systems, Switchboards and Panelboards, DC Motors, Three-Phase Alternators and Motors, is the seventh course in the path to an Electrician Trainee Program Certificate with WECA.

This 39-hour course expands on skills built in earlier courses. Topics covered include: wiring materials; DC motor; sizing branch circuits, and more.

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GetWired 204: Transformers, Special Locations and Single-Phase Motors, is the eighth course in the path to an Electrician Trainee Program Certificate with WECA.

This 39-hour course expands on skills taught in previous courses. Topics covered include: transformers; special locations; hazardous locations, more.

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GetWired 302: Blueprint Reading Part 2: Electrical Work for Commercial Construction from the Ground Up, Part 2, is the tenth course in the path to an Electrician Trainee Program Certificate with WECA.

Key course subjects in this 42-hour course include: public utility requirements; electrical room layout; floor types and planning conduit runs, and more.

 

 

 

Dear WECA Commercial Electrical Apprentices,

To view your health benefit summaries and annual notices, please login at www.goweca.com. Use your WECA student ID number and password to login, then navigate to "Commercial Apprentice Benefits."

The WECA health insurance provider is United Healthcare, which includes medical (HMO/PPO), dental (PPO), vision (PPO), Life/ADD and STD/LTD.

Please note that the United Healthcare dental PPO ID card only displays the subscriber's name. If dependents are covered, their name will not be displayed on the dental ID card.

Additionally, please note that United Healthcare does not send out vision ID cards. You may visit www.myuhcvision.com and register with United Healthcare (if you are not already registered) to print out a vision ID card.

If you have any questions, please contact Cindy Cormier, Insurance Administrator, at ccormier@goweca.com or at 877-444-9322 ext. 117.

California Labor Commissioner Issues FAQs Clarifying Pay Transparency Law California enacted a pay transparency law (SB 1162) requiring employers with 15 or more employees to disclose pay scales in job postings beginning January 1, 2023. The Labor Commissioner recently issued guidance in the form of FAQs to address some of the unanswered questions regarding the interpretation and enforcement of the California Equal Pay Act.

The law expands pay data reporting requirements for California employers with 100 or more employees. It requires employers with 15 or more employees to include the “pay scale” for a position in any job posting. However, the law is silent on some key issues, such as: (1) how to determine the 15-employee threshold for coverage; (2) how to calculate the “pay scale;” and (3) whether positions that are not required to be filled by a California employee are covered (i.e., remote positions that may, or may not, be performed outside of California). The FAQs provide helpful guidance to address these questions.

The Labor Commissioner’s FAQs clarify the following:

• Determining 15 Employee Limit: The Labor Commissioner’s guidance explains which individuals companies must count to determine whether an employer is covered under the law and, therefore, must disclose pay scales in job postings. Specifically, the law applies when (1) an employer reaches 15 employees at any pay period and (2) one employee is currently located in California. When calculating the 15-employee minimum threshold, “bona fide” independent contractors are excluded, while exempt employees, part-time workers, minors, and new hires are included.
• Defining Pay Scale: The law defines “pay scale” as the salary or hourly wage range that the employer reasonably expects to pay for the position. The FAQs clarify that “pay scale” excludes bonuses, commissions, tips, or other benefits. However, if a position’s salary or hourly wage is based in whole or in part on either commission or a piece rate, then the commission range or piece rate the employer reasonably expects to pay for the position must also be included in the job posting.
• Posting Requirements: The guidance clarifies when and how the new “pay scale” information must be disclosed. The FAQs explain that the “pay scale” must be included within a job posting if the position “may ever be filled in California,” either in-person or remotely. The wage info must be displayed in the job posting and cannot be included via a link or QR code. 

Considering the Labor Commissioner’s FAQs, California employers should thoroughly review their job postings to ensure compliance with the new pay transparency law and the Labor Commissioner’s guidance. They should consult counsel before revising or posting new job positions in 2023. Story

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Cal/OSHA Approved COVID-19 Prevention Non-Emergency Regulations On December 15, 2022, the California Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board (Cal/OSHA) voted to adopt COVID-19 Prevention Non-Emergency Regulations (Non-Emergency Regulations). Approval by the Office of Administrative Law (OAL) is expected shortly, and the new regulations are expected to take effect this month. Although the new regulations include requirements like those currently found in the Cal/OSHA’s COVID-19 Prevention Emergency Temporary Standards (ETS), the Non-Emergency Regulations also incorporate significant differences that will change how employers engage with their employees and operate their businesses for COVID-19. Story

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California Legislators Have Refused to Fix CEQA. Davis Law Professor Offers Advice to Newsom and the Courts to “Take Charge” Chris Elmendorf is the Martin Luther King, Jr. Professor of Law at UC Davis and a longtime resident of San Francisco. He wrote this (#nottheonion) for the San Francisco Chronicle. “The California Environmental Quality Act — colloquially known as CEQA — has long been considered the state’s flagship environmental law. Debate over whether CEQA deserves to retain that status, however, has grown heated in recent years. The nub of the problem is that the law’s central premise doesn’t fit the great environmental problems of our day. It wouldn’t be hard for the Legislature to resolve CEQA’s flaws, but there’s no political will to do it. That’s because CEQA, in practice, is not just an environmental protection law. Trade unions have become experts at using the threat of CEQA litigation to extract labor agreements from developers. Time is money — literally — for project investors, and litigation and delay have become so costly that developers of high-value projects will gladly incur substantially higher labor costs to avoid it. On smaller, more financially marginal projects, however, developers can’t afford the extra labor costs or the risk of delay. So, these projects don’t get proposed at all. Perhaps not surprisingly, the trades have defeated almost every legislative proposal to streamline CEQA review of green projects — unless the bill comes with labor requirements that raise the cost of building the very things we need the most. A couple of years ago, the Planning and Conservation League Foundation convened a group of veteran CEQA attorneys from across the ideological spectrum to develop a consensus proposal for modest procedural reforms. Even this was too much for the trades, which killed it. Story

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2024 Election Season is On Politico notes it’s “game on” for 2024. “Thirteen months before the primary and 400 miles from her home base, Rep. Katie Porter held the first event of what promises to be a raucous U.S. Senate race. The Orange County Democrat kicked off her campaign with a visit to the East Bay’s Rossmoor Democratic club, a rich vein of three critical resources: donations, volunteers and high-propensity Democratic voters. It’s also all but impossible to win statewide without piling up votes in the Bay Area. ‘The fact that she’s here within a week of announcing her candidacy means Northern California is in her heart,’ Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan told a crowd of hundreds in an intro speech (RBK is so far neutral in the Senate race.). Whiteboards were featured heavily — fittingly, since Porter built her reputation by grilling executives with her signature prop and is centering her campaign on countering entrenched interests. A few women in the audience had specially made “4 Katie!” mini whiteboards pinned to their shirts. An emcee screened a video of one memorable interrogation and recounted others to murmurs of recognition. Porter boasted about lobbyists cowering from ‘the whiteboard treatment.’ California, she said, needs ‘our best warrior in the Senate.’ In a possible preview of how she’ll approach Democratic rivals, she said it’s for ‘a fresh new voice.’ Porter was able to get in front of potential voters before the competition because she didn’t wait for Sen. Dianne Feinstein to confirm the pervasive presumption that she won’t seek another term. Before holding the cycle’s first campaign event on Tuesday, Porter issued the first strength-signaling fundraising release ($1.3 million in 24 hours) and rolled out the first high-profile endorsement (Sen. Elizabeth Warren, her mentor and former professor). But she won’t long have the field to herself. Rep. Barbara Lee has already said she’s in, and Rep. Adam Schiff shouldn’t be far behind. To differentiate themselves from rival Democrats, they’ll need to put in the time with the party faithful at Rossmoor-like clubs around the state. They’ll also need to raise enormous sums of money — and a key to that is accumulating numerous small-dollar donors, like the types of people who show up to a campaign event on a Tuesday night many months before they’ll cast a vote. Porter has demonstrated fundraising acumen — and some ground to make up. She raised more than $25 million last cycle but spent some $27 million to survive a bruising reelection race, leaving her with about $7.7 million at November’s end. Schiff, ensconced in his safe Los Angeles district, raised a similar amount but spent markedly less than Porter, leaving him with more than $20 million on hand. Lee, who is less of a fundraising juggernaut, had $54,000.”

Dan Walters opines on the race here.

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And because Porter will give up her hard-won and costly house seat to run for Senate, it Opens Up a Desirable House Seat. There is a new contender for Porter’s opening House seat: Democratic state Sen. Dave Min is running for CA-47 with an endorsement from Porter, who said in a statement Min has “proven that he can win in this area while delivering on a progressive agenda.” Min finished behind Porter in the 2018 House primary. He joins a field that includes former Democratic Rep. Harley Rouda and former Republican Assembly member Scott Baugh. One big winner from this development is State Sen. Josh Newman of Fullerton. Last year, California’s redistricting commission put Min and Newman, both Democrats, in the same district. Min’s announcement spares Newman the prospect of an incumbent-on-incumbent fight. Min unseated Republican state Sen. John Moorlach in 2020, flipping one of that cycle’s most contested state Senate seats. He represents much of Porter’s district in the Legislature and could show strength with its large Korean-American electorate. More

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And another look at the Senate Race is Everyone for Themselves — “California’s shadow Senate campaign is already spilling out into the light,” said the Daily Beast’s Sam Brodey. “No matter how the eventual field shakes out, California politicos are bracing for a bruising intra-party battle royale. In the state’s election system, the top two vote-getters in the primary advance to the general election, regardless of party — which means that in this deep blue state, a Democrat-versus-Democrat matchup in November 2024 is not only possible, it’s likely.”

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Klobuchar Leery of Silicon Valley Influence: Their Cash, Not So Much Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), one the chief architects of last year’s Senate push to rein in tech giants, went to Silicon Valley to raise money for her reelection, according to a recent story. She held a fundraiser at the Palo Alto of venture capitalist Greg Sands and his wife Sarah. According to the invite, the event was organized by the Bay Area fundraising group Electing Women Bay Area. Greg and Sarah Sands are longtime Democratic donors who bundled at least $25,000 for Klobuchar’s 2020 presidential bid, according to an archived page on the campaign’s site. They also hosted fundraisers for Hillary Clinton in 2016 and Joe Biden in 2019. For Klobuchar, tonight’s fundraiser will take her onto the home turf of several top foes whose furious lobbying efforts last year sank the senator’s bipartisan antitrust push. Tickets started at $1,000 for guests to get face time with Klobuchar, who chairs the Senate’s antitrust subcommittee and has vowed to forge ahead with efforts to crack down on the dominance of tech companies like Apple, Meta, Amazon, and Google. And in case you’re wondering, no, I did not attend.

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And You Thought 2024 Would Be Biden vs. Trump? Five hundred and thirty-one people have filed with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) to run for president in 2024 as of January 17. The list includes 77 Democratic candidates (14.5%), 145 Republican candidates (27.3%), and 309 nonpartisan or minor party candidates (58.2%). This figure excludes candidates whose filings have expired or were identified as fake candidates (George Santos?). Any person running for president that raises or spends more than $5,000 for a campaign must file a Statement of Candidacy with the FEC within 15 days. To do so, that person must be a natural-born citizen of the United States, at least 35 years old, and a resident of the United States for at least 14 years. A Statement of Candidacy includes basic information like the candidate’s name and address and any campaign committees working for them. The number of filings in the 2024 election is the third-most in 40 years. In 2016, 1,762 candidates filed with the FEC to run for president. In 2020, 1,212 candidates filed.

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Ouch! Major Orange County Republican Group Lost on 96% of its Local Bets in Latest Election The Voice of OC reports: “They’ve been a dominant force in Orange County elections for decades. In the November election alone, the Lincoln Club of Orange County spent nearly $1 million on local races, weighing in on campaigns for county supervisor, city council, and school board. But this time, the club – one of the county’s most prominent GOP spending groups – lost most of its bets. A whopping 96% of the group’s major spending on local races went to support candidates who lost or opposed people who ended up winning.” Story

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Sinema Angles for Approps Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.) is eyeing a seat on the powerful Appropriations Committee, according to two people familiar with the matter. Sinema is entering her fifth year in the Senate, a level of seniority that puts her in contention for the plum gig. However, there’s a new dynamic in town: Sinema left the Democratic Party to go independent, though she is still essentially a part of the Democratic Caucus. Regarding timing, Senate leaders are still working out the committee ratios, and it’s unclear when they will be announced.

And Sinema may have her hands full in 2024! The Washington Post reports Kari Lake, Blake Masters, Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb, and Karrin Taylor Robson are all “seriously” considering jumping into the 2024 Arizona Senate race. No word on former Governor Doug Ducey, whose race for Senate was torpedoed by DJT because Ducey wouldn’t embrace “the steal.”

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California’s Top Oil Regulator Abruptly Exits: SV Sun reports “For the second time in two years, the Golden State’s oil czar is hitting the exits after ruffling one too many feathers with environmental activists. Uduak-Joe Ntuk took over running California’s Geologic Energy Management Division (or CalGEM) in late 2019 after his predecessor, Ken Harris, was sacked by Gov. Gavin Newsom for quietly approving a hefty number of fracking permits. Since Newsom took office, Sacramento has focused on virtually eliminating all oil production. CalGEM (formerly named the clunky “DOGGR”) has retained its position as the most demanding regulatory agency to balance ongoing needs with Sacramento’s demands.”

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Solar Struggles: Three environmental groups filed an appeal this week, insisting the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) reconsider a decision to slash the prices utilities must pay new rooftop solar customers for excess power. The Center for Biological Diversity, Protect Our Communities Foundation, and the Environmental Working Group said in a news release announcing their appeal that the change “threatens the growing rooftop solar market and puts affordable and resilient renewable energy out of reach for most communities.” The CPUC sharply reduced the rates for customer-generated power in a December decision that also eliminated a solar tax. Commissioners said the change was aimed at encouraging new customers to add battery storage at their homes to help offset heavy energy usage during California evenings when solar generation stops. A CPUC spokeswoman said the program has essentially subsidized electricity prices for wealthier Californians who can afford rooftop solar. The appeal asks the CPUC to reconsider the analysis that led to the December net metering decision and to reverse it, saying it fails to fulfill state statutes that require growth of distributed renewable generation, including among disadvantaged communities. I, for one, am not holding my breath. The CPUC was unanimous in voting for NEM 3.0, and I doubt any commissioner, much less a majority, will say, “Whoops, my bad.”

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And We’re Done Republican David Shepard conceded his race for Senate District 16 (Sanger). His statement reads: “Thank you to the constituents of Senate District 16. This race has been historically close, and as the recount draws toward the end, I believe our path forward to victory is no longer feasible. From our 22-vote deficit, our recounting of ballots closed the gap to 13 votes. This means that nine voters who initially were prevented from voting in this election had their votes tallied. This election has exemplified the saying that, ‘every vote counts.’ Although the result is not the one we had hoped for, I am so incredibly thankful for the team that surrounded me during the recount and believed in me and my candidacy for state senate.” Shepard is a supervisor of table grape operations for his family’s farming company EW Merritt Farms.

Please join us in thanking our sponsors and gift donors for making the event special and memorable for our graduates and their guests!



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Watch: WECA Arizona Class of 2022 Graduation Event

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WECA celebrated the hard work and accomplishments of the Arizona Commercial Electrical Apprenticeship Class of 2022 at their graduation on Saturday, January 7^th at the DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Hotel Phoenix.

75 people – including graduates’ family and friends, special guests, WECA Member Contractors, WECA Industry Partners, gift donors, and WECA staff – attended the celebration. Notable attendees included Darin Johnson, Vice President of Environmental Health and Safety and Workforce Development at Corbins and WECA Apprenticeship Training Committee Trustee; Mike McBride, National Account Manager for WECA Industry Partner Talent Corps, and Andrew Spleth, Territory Manager for the Greater Phoenix area for tool donor Milwaukee Tool.

The evening was memorable and poignant, according to Wendy Flanagan, WECA’s Assistant Director of Apprenticeship and Don Black, WECA’s Apprentice Training, IT, and Facilities Director.

“Everyone was excited and proud of their accomplishments,” said Wendy. “Most of the graduates chose to speak and they thanked Corbins and their loved ones, and also expressed their appreciation for WECA and the higher level of education that we and Keith Smart [WECA Phoenix Commercial Electrical Apprenticeship Program’s Manager and Instructor] offer. It was very moving to hear about how much they appreciate and respect Keith and his teaching and his mentorship.”

Don concurred with Wendy, stating “The graduates were very grateful that Corbins switched to using WECA as their apprenticeship program. Many graduates said that Keith was the best instructor they ever had and were grateful for his mentorship.”

The graduation ceremony also had a unique twist – certainly a WECA graduation first!

“Several of the graduates brought their kids, and one of the kids had a birthday that day. Her dad thanked her for cutting her birthday short to be at the ceremony, and we all sang happy birthday to her,” said Wendy.

Congratulations to the WECA Arizona Commercial Electrical Apprenticeship Class of 2022! We’re proud of you, and thankful that you are part of the WECA family. We look forward to seeing how you shape the future of the Arizona commercial electrical industry! 

 

Meet Some of Our Graduates

Erik Ramirez


 

Erik Ramirez, a WECA Arizona Commercial Electrical Apprenticeship Class of 2022 graduate, knew that his WECA education would be exceptional from the first class.

“After transitioning from a different institute over to WECA, in the first class I realized just how much better my education experience was going to be,” says Erik. “WECA’s staff is exceptional, and the instructor [Keith Smart, WECA Arizona Commercial Electrical Apprenticeship Program Manager and Instructor] was always there to support me and answer any question I had."

The quality of WECA’s education has also played a pivotal role in helping Erik prepare for his chosen career.

“Their curriculum offered a full range of topics that cover a lot of the fundamentals needed to succeed in this industry. Many of the hands-on labs were based on real-life situations in the field,” says Erik.

Additionally, Erik’s on-the-job training with his employer, WECA Arizona Founding Member Contractor Corbins, has provided opportunities to work alongside experienced coworkers and gain invaluable experience doing different scopes of work through various projects.

Outside of school and work, Erik credits his family with providing essential support every step of the way.

“The main factor that contributed to my success at WECA and in my career was and still is my family,” says Erik. “Without their support and motivation, I wouldn’t have gotten to where I am today.”

However, we suspect that Erik’s ambition and tenacity has also propelled him along his journey, as evidenced by his post-graduation plans.

“My plans after graduating are to keep growing in my career and knowledge. I won’t settle with just a journeyperson title. I want to be part of the next generation of leaders in the electrical industry,” says Erik.

Congratulations, Erik! We are proud of your hard work, determination, and success, and are confident that you will make an excellent future leader for Arizona’s commercial electrical industry.

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Chase Quillin


 

For WECA Arizona Commercial Electrical Apprenticeship Class of 2022 graduate Chase Quillin, WECA’s Arizona Commercial Electrical Apprenticeship program and instructor Keith Smart have given him a new perspective on the electrical industry.

“My WECA experience has consisted of constant learning and exposure to new ideas in the electrical field with real-world experience to back it up,” says Chase. “When I go to a job site now, I can understand what it is we are installing and why. With the preparation and knowledge gained at WECA, combined with the skills I’ve gained on-the-job, I am ready to tackle any task presented to me.”

Chase says this is all thanks to Keith Smart, WECA Arizona Commercial Electrical Apprenticeship Program Manager and Instructor.

“Keith is an awesome instructor, and his experience is shown every day in class through his expounding on the material presented and ensuring everyone has a full understanding of the concepts presented,” says Chase.

Outside of the classroom, Chase’s employer – WECA Arizona Founding Member Contractor Corbins – has provided him with forepersons and journeyperson electricians who have not only led him, but showed him how to lead others. Such leadership gave Chase the opportunity to become a lead for his crew in the past year.

Thanks to his high-quality WECA education and steadfast guidance from his employer, Chase’s plans for the future are rock-solid.

“My goal is to continue refining my leadership skills, apply my credits [earned at WECA, whose apprenticeship programs have been awarded college credit recommendations by the National College Credit Recommendation Service] to an Associates degree, and I hope I get the opportunity to become a foreperson to continue passing on my knowledge,” says Chase.

Congratulations, Chase! We are pleased that WECA and Arizona Founding Member Contractor Corbins built up your leadership skills and paved the way for you to tackle the rest of your career in the commercial electrical industry! We wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors.

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Aaron Reali


 

WECA Arizona Commercial Electrical Apprenticeship Class of 2022 graduate Aaron Reali credits his WECA education with giving him confidence, helping him develop problem-solving skills, and presenting excellent opportunities to lead and learn, and Arizona Commercial Electrical Apprenticeship Program Manager and Instructor Keith Smart with making his time at WECA challenging and rewarding.

“My education and training at WECA were really centered on real-life situations, helped me learn how to problem solve situations at work, gave me the confidence to have conversations with my leads, foremen, and superintendents about the work we’re performing, and I have been given the opportunity [by employer Corbins, a WECA Arizona Founding Member Contractor] to lead teammates. Also, Keith deserves a lot of the credit for the progress a lot of us have made,” says Aaron.

Another benefit of his WECA education, Aaron says, is learning in the classroom alongside his coworkers.

“We can talk about what we learned in class and bounce ideas off each other,” says Aaron. “Keith contributed real work examples and cited personal experiences, which helped a lot of us grasp certain concepts. Hands-on activities in class also helped build confidence in my work.”

Looking back on his WECA experience, Aaron encourages current and future WECA students to ‘take it all in.’

“It goes by so quickly and before you know it, graduation is happening. Really take advantage of the experience and the training. You’ll be surprised what you’re capable of if you just apply yourself. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and volunteer for any opportunity because those can be your door to the next great step in your career,” says Aaron.

When it comes to next steps, Aaron is already carving a definitive pathway for his career in the commercial electrical industry.

“I’ve been given a great opportunity to lead a couple of my teammates in a job we are in right now,” says Aaron. “I’m excited to complete this job and continue to lead in other jobs and soon become a foreman for a couple of years and then transition into a superintendent role. I also plan to work with apprentices and help them out on their path.”

The results are in! Please join us in congratulating the following individuals on their respective elections to the following WECA Boards of Directors and Trustees:
 

WECA Board of Directors:

Ian Vander Linden

Mark Cooper

Rick Butterfield

Rob McMillian
 

WECA Apprenticeship and Training Board of Trustees:

Dru Wells

Matt Liefer

Leslie Schlaegel

Windell Pascascio, Jr.

Cody Eaton
 

WECA Health and Welfare and Pension Board of Trustees:

Jeremy Alessandro

Nathan Gosink

Dustin Phillips
 

Congratulations to the newly elected!

You can view our full Boards of Directors and Trustees rosters here.

Three WECA Member Contractors Make Engineering News Record California's 2022 Top Specialty Contractors Preview List

Rankings for Top Contractors by Sector: Electrical

Please join us in congratulating WECA Member Contractors Helix Electric, Royal Electric Company, and Barnum & Celillo Electric, Inc. on being named to Engineering News Record California's 2022 Top Specialty Contractors! Shown below are the rankings for top contractors for the electrical sector:

Greater Fresno-Area Member Contractors: Participate in Our Feb. 22 "Jump Start Your Career" Job Fair at WECA's Fresno Training Facility: Meet WECA Apprenticeship Applicants In Your Area

RSVP Today!



We are excited to host the "Jump Start Your Career" job fair at WECA's Fresno training facility on February 22 from 4 to 7 p.m.!

But, your help is needed to make this event a success! This is a great opportunity for Fresno-area member contractors to connect with apprentice applicants about career opportunities in the trades as an electrician, and to share information about your company.

We will be providing information about the different pathways and programs we offer at WECA and some hands-on activities.

Please let us know if you want to be included in this fabulous event to showcase all the great things about a careers as an electrician. WECA will provide tables and chairs for the event booths, as well as meeting space, if you would like to conduct interviews at the event.

To RSVP, please email Wendy Flanagan at wflanagan@goweca.com or Diane Trotter at dtrotter@goweca.com.

We look forward to seeing you there! And if you RSVP soon, we'll add you to the "attending contractors" section of this flyer:

?Download the "Jump Start Your Career" Job Fair flyer here.

Happy New Year, everyone!

We're looking forward to a healthy, happy, and prosperous 2023, but before we continue diving head-first into the new year, we'd like to look back on the joyous time we had at WECA's staff Winterfest breakfast at our California headquarters in Rancho Cordova on December 30.

Everyone had a blast -- we enjoyed yummy breakfast foods and beverages, listened to festive music, enjoyed each other's company, and showed off our competitive sides with a suspenseful but friendly game of White Elephant (pictured above)!

Thank you for being part of the WECA family and allowing us to serve you -- here's to a wonderful 2023!

* Cal/OSHA Guidance on Requirements to Protect Workers from Coronavirus
* Supplemental Toolbox Talks COVID-19
* Coronavirus Toolbox Talk
* Fact Sheet for Pandemics
* Coronavirus - Workplace, School and Home Guidance
* COVID-19 Tool Cleaning Protocols
* United States Department of Labor: COVID-19
* CDC COVID-19 Risk Assessment Flowchart
* EDD Coronavirus Resources for WECA Community

These, and more, are always available on WECA's COVID-19 Advisory Page.

Arizona Senate 2024 According to Politico, Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) is ramping up his political operation ahead of an expected entry into the Arizona Senate race against newly independent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema. Gallego has recently hired a pollster, interviewed paid media firms, and started hiring veterans from the successful campaigns of Sens. John Fetterman, Mark Kelly, and Raphael Warnock. Since Sinema announced her party switch, Gallego has reportedly received more than 25,000 individual financial contributions.

And, Arizona Republican Rep. Andy Biggs is at the forefront of efforts to keep California Republican Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) from being Speaker of the House. Biggs, the former head of the far-right House Freedom Caucus, was the first Republican to challenge McCarthy's bid. Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) formally nominated Biggs. Eli Crane (R-Ariz.), a freshman, was among about 20 House Republicans who consistently sided with someone other than McCarthy. Story

And, California Republicans fear McCarthy's loss would be theirs as well. Politico reports, "For many GOP lawmakers in California, McCarthy is not only a friend and former colleague. He's a source of campaign cash and proof that their party could still be relevant — at least outside the state. Now, that seems to be slipping away along with his grip on the speakership. 'He has been the most important Republican in California for the past decade,' said Rob Stutzman, a Republican consultant who worked under former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger when McCarthy was in the state Legislature.

But, the would-be speaker's ascent has also divided him from some conservative former allies who believe he has put ambition — and loyalty to Trump — over principle. Bill Thomas, the former Republican Congress member and onetime mentor, denounced his former aide in 2021 for enabling Trump's 'lies' about the election. 'I'm very troubled by what appears to be an active preference of a minority of elected officials that believe throwing bombs is their key to success,' said former Republican State Sen. Roger Niello, who served in the Assembly with McCarthy. 'Kevin McCarthy is not a bomb-thrower."

New Boss at California Labor and Workforce Development Agency (LWDA). The Sacramento Bee reported Gov. Gavin Newsom's top adviser on California labor issues abruptly left her post in December under uncertain circumstances. Natalie Palugyai, who Newsom appointed as secretary of the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency in July 2021, is no longer with the department, the governor's office and the agency confirmed. Before arriving in Sacramento, Palugyai was Senior Advisor for Strategic Initiatives at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. Palugyai replaced Julie Su after the U.S. Senate approved her as the next Deputy Secretary of the Department of Labor. Lest any of you readers be concerned for Palugyai's financial condition, Newsom appointed her to the Workers' Compensation Appeals Board. Salary: $170,464. Her replacement at LWDA is Stewart Knox, undersecretary since 2021. His new salary: $232,858.