Benefits for the Contractor


Flexible Work Force
 

As a Union Contractor you have access to an inexhaustible supply of qualified manpower.  Local 99 has approximately 800 men and women in good standing currently with more being trained all the time.  Across the country the IBEW has hundreds of thousands of members ready to work in every state.  Access to this workforce gives you the contractor, the ability to maintain a 2 person shop or a 200 person shop on a moment’s notice, with ease.  Local 99 assures the contractor receives a drug free, highly skilled, safe working and fully licensed and qualified electrical worker.  You can hire this employee for one week or a lifetime; depending on the needs of the project. Think of how handy this can be if you win a bid on a 3 month project that requires 50 electricians. No interviews, no risks, no down time, just truck after truck of qualified professionals with one single phone call.


Training
 

Local 99 maintains an institute of Higher Education known as the Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee (JATC).  This department of the Union / Contractor team is charged with the responsibility of training all apprentices and the continuing education of our Journeymen, Masters, Supervisors, Contractors and Engineers. The JATC spends hundreds of thousands of dollars annually to educate our workforce so they can be the most productive and safest workforce in the industry.  Our Apprenticeship program requirements are much more rigid than the State mandated programs, starting with the fact that our apprentices attend one year more of school and one year more of on the job training that the state requires.

Safety
 

It is a statistical fact that Union Workers are safer workers.  There is a simple reason for this fact, the Union workforce is better trained, higher skilled, trained by a joint committee of Labor and management and of course our contractors are held to a higher standard so they maintain safety policies that are second to none in the industry, A Safer workforce has certainly the moral and ethical rewards of knowing your crew is going home to their families safe every night but it also has bonus rewards for your bottom line. The following is a link to a fun video of how Safety used to be taught before the IBEW developed our programs.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcg53bRktCg


Productivity
 

Many statistical studies have been done that have proved that Union workers are 17% more productive than the non-union. This again is not a mystery as to why, the union workers spend more time in school, more on the job training and the programs are designed and implemented by a cooperative committee of Labor and Management.  Our team also knows, if they do not live up to the needs of the project, like any other project they risk being replaced.  Fortunately every member has available to them training in every facet of our industry so they can be equally trained and skilled as every other member.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76l25dfKSTQ

Supervision
 

Jobs are lost and companies destroyed by the lack of proper supervision.  In Local 99, we have programs to train our team to be effective Supervisors and Forman.  This training is also implemented by both Labor and Management so the mutually beneficial gains will be fully realized.


Code of Excellence
 

Every member of Local 99 has been trained in the Code of Excellence in order to be qualified to be referred out for a job call. Please see link below but the bottom line is Local 99 will accept nothing short of the best in the industry for our team.  The Code of Excellence demands all employees and contractors maintain standards of performance that are unheard of in the non-union sector.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5dTkNLnDGR8

Benefit Programs
 

Local 99 Maintains a Health and Welfare Department and a Pension Department.  Rather than every contractor trying to research, maintain and wonder about the programs they are in, a cooperative committee of Labor and Management mutually manage the programs for all the men and women in Local 99.  This can be a huge cost savings for you the contractor but more importantly it offers the convenience of making payments to one office and also offers you the security of knowing there is a complete team managing the funds to make sure they are working to the absolute best they can for the betterment of all. There are also many Prevailing Wage advantages by having the Local Union manage the benefits.


Payroll
 

In Local 99 as in most Unions, certain pay standards are established.  You as the contractor will be given a schedule of rates for apprentice’s right through General Foreman.   Rates are negotiated on a per contract basis and you of course can have your say on rates.  This relieves you of the burden to negotiate different rates for every individual employee.  The contracts that is negotiated will outline the value of the raises negotiated. The contract is a minimum of course and you as the contractor could always go above and beyond if you chose.  In Local 99 our team are all trained in all aspects of the trade, we are all required to also maintain our education and licenses in order to be employed.   With such a universal workforce, it is logical that Local 99 maintains universal rates across the board. 


Here are some of the questions we typically get asked


Q: How much does it cost my company to join the union?
A: There is no cost to join the Union for the Employer, only the member pays union dues.  You will only have to maintain payroll and benefit bonds for the security of all

Q: If I hire someone and for whatever reason I am un-satisfied, do I have to keep them employed?
A: If in fact you hire someone who for whatever is not a good fit for your shop, you simply send them back to the Union Hall and we will replace them immediately.  This is unusual to happen so if in fact you did not wish to maintain a certain employee; we would only ask you what the issues are so we can make sure whatever perceived shortcoming is immediately and effectively addressed for the benefit of the member and future employment.

Q: Will the IBEW try to run my business?
A: Absolutely not, the Local Union will provide manpower and manage benefits.  Your business is your business, and we want nothing more than for you to be completely successful.  As a Union Contractor or a Union Member you will sign onto a Collective Bargaining agreement that was mutually negotiated between representatives of management and Labor of which you of course can be a part of.   Most importantly is that the Union actually will offer help if you need it. Perhaps you are bidding a job in a different State, you need an unusual skill set for an employee, you have business issues needing resolve or any other “out of the normal” situation, we are here to help.  Ultimately the more successful our contractors are, the more successful our team is, and it is really that simple. 


The Bottom Line
 

If you are a stable contractor looking to hire the best, we are your team.  We will work hand in hand with you to make sure you are as successful as you can be.   If you are new into the Union type work environment the Local Union can help you out with temporary “special rates” and such that let you maintain the smaller accounts you have now as you look into much more profitable projects in the near future.