Not every business has the capacity to provide scalable services when opportunity arises, primarily because it may not have access to a qualified workforce.
That’s not the case for the over 50 Electrical Contractors across Northeastern Ontario that are signatory to the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 1687. Chartered in 1951, in Sudbury, Ontario. IBEW Local 1687 represents 700 members across Northeastern Ontario that can be quickly mobilized to provide Electrical Contractors with the qualified workforce they need.
Aligning your electrical business with IBEW Local 1687 is a symbiotic relationship: companies that hire 1687 workers can bid on bigger jobs to continue growing their business, while workers continue to make a good living with benefits and pensions that they can rely on come retirement. It’s an arrangement that has worked seamlessly for companies like Dancey Electric in North Bay. According to co-owner Chris Dancey, having access to a readily available workforce has been instrumental in developing flexibility for his business.
Dancey Electric – North Bay, ON
“Let’s say I needed five guys for a project on Monday,” said Dancey, who followed his father into the electrical trade 21 years ago. “I will call my dispatcher up and say I need five guys at this address for Monday morning. They do their best to get those five guys here. It gives you great flexibility as a business owner, allowing you to bid on big jobs without having to keep the day-to-day capacity.”
Dancey says business owners who tap into the 1687 pool of qualified electricians have no obligation to keep the workers, who understand the contractual nature of the work. It also gives him instant access to workers without having to go through the time-consuming job posting, interviewing, and hiring process.
S&T Group Inc. – Sault Ste Marie and Sudbury, ON
Steve Watson, Technology Supervisor at S&T Group in Sault Ste. Marie, says IBEW Local 1687 is not just for electricians.
“At S&T Group we’ve been partnered with the IBEW for the past 40 years offering electrical installations and communications services, things like computer networks, Wi-Fi and fiber optic systems. We go out, pursue a client, bid the job, and then we work with the Union to get the right workers. We may say we need a communications worker and five electricians, and they serve as the labour arm for us.”
Looking at the future, Watson said IBEW Local 1687 will be an important ally for future workers hoping to secure a stable career with good pensions, wages, and benefits.
“With the increasing demand for workers in the communications world, the IBEW will be a valuable partner for the workers,” he said. “Working as an IBEW member means they will have good paying jobs that can help them afford to raise their families.”
Johnston’s Electrical Construction Ltd. – Timmins, ON
Matthew Johnston is another business owner and a member of IBEW Local 1687 that has benefitted from access to 1687’s pool of skilled workers.
“One of the biggest positives is that the IBEW puts a lot of money and resources into training electricians,” said Johnston, who joined IBEW Local 1687 right out of high school and is now the co-owner of Johnston’s Electrical Construction. “When you put in a call for electricians, you always wind up with someone who is qualified for the job you need them to fill.”
According to Johnston, another reason to align your electrical business with the IBEW is because IBEW Local 1687 can help businesses stay competitive with the non-union shops that are bidding on the same jobs.
“One of the ways the union can help us stay competitive is by offering us stabilization funding”, said Johnston. “They can provide us with money to help us meet the hourly rate needed to stay competitive. That’s really helpful during the slows times of the year.”
Lopes Ltd. – Sudbury, ON
It’s the kind of flexibility offered by IBEW Local 1687 that truly benefits companies like Lopes Limited according to Director of Electrical Construction, Steven Pankow. Securing trained union labour ensures Lopes can remain a scalable business based on its own need to dip into the labour pool offered by IBEW Local 1687.
“The IBEW enables us to be a 20-man company or a 200-man company depending on workload,” said Pankow. “That’s advantageous when I need the manpower and expertise required to complete projects.”
For example, Pankow said he usually carries a crew of 12 to 15, all of which are IBEW members. However, due to current contracts like the Pioneer Manor Bed Expansion, Pankow says he is overseeing a crew of 71 electricians. Lopes Limited is also relying on multiple union tradespeople including pipefitters, iron workers, and sheet metal workers.
“It’s a pretty seamless process,” said Pankow, in reference to the process of securing additional labour from IBEW Local 1687. “There is still some site-specific training to complete. We make the request to the hall. The hall fulfills my request depending on what my needs are.”
If you are a licensed electrician, powerline technician, NCS technician, or a contractor that is interested in joining the IBEW, or someone interested in an apprenticeship, please contact our Market Development Representative; Yan Gervais at 249-779-9877 or [email protected].