Tag Archives: IBEW Local 24

Maryland Needs Larger Wind Energy Areas To Meet Climate Goals And Increase Good Jobs

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IBEW Local 24 has made a priority of supporting clean energy initiatives and preparing and training our members to meet the challenges of new energy industries. Offshore wind has been at the forefront of our efforts, and we are working hard to avert a potential setback in Maryland.

WE NEED MEMBERS TO SPEAK OUT IN SUPPORT, TOO!

Find out how at the bottom of this post, and ACT NOW.

Here is what is happening. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) recently released the final Wind Energy Area (WEA) map for the Central Atlantic, impacting offshore wind development off the coasts of Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and northern North Carolina. The final map has raised concerns and poses these potential setbacks for Maryland:

  1. Decrease in Job Opportunities: The reduction in available leasing areas will lead to a decrease in
    good-paying jobs. The potential for a 5 GW increase in capacity could create 12,800 jobs, but fewer
    leases would result in a significant loss of employment opportunities.

  2. Market Favoritism towards Virginia: The final map disproportionately favors Virginia, allocating half
    of the proposed leasing area to the state. This diminishes Maryland’s potential market size, which
    negatively impacts the incentive for supply chain and manufacturing companies to establish
    operations in Maryland.

  3. Uncertainty in Meeting Clean Energy Goals: The reduction in available leasing areas poses
    uncertainty in meeting Maryland’s clean energy and carbon reduction goals, jeopardizing the state’s
    commitment to sustainable energy.

  4. Presidential Administration Change Risk: The looming risk of a change in the White House in 2024
    could halt future offshore wind development opportunities, adding unpredictability to the industry’s
    future.

  5. Increased Ratepayer Costs: Leases located farther away will incur higher costs, potentially burdening
    ratepayers.

Urging BOEM to revise their maps and provide adequate WEAs for Maryland, Business Manager Michael J. McHale has sent a statement to them, outlining the many reasons for concern.


“As the demand for clean electricity increases along the East Coast, we believe that offshore wind can be revolutionary for Maryland’s economy and the climate goals of the United States. We urge the BOEM to ensure that the development of offshore wind projects aligns with the vision of a sustainable future and continues to create new jobs in the construction and manufacturing industries within the region,” McHale said. “These jobs will play a vital role in supporting the livelihoods of Baltimore Metropolitan Area residents, as well as working women and men on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. This industry will contribute significantly to building middle class employment opportunities for the Mid-Atlantic Region.”

Local 24 members are asked to add your voices in support of expanding the WEAs by posting a comment before the August 31 deadline – and we are providing you an example below. Click the link now, post your comments, and support offshore wind, clean energy and good jobs for Maryland!

Don’t forget to replace the words IN BOLD with your information!

Hello, I am [INSERT NAME HERE], a member of IBEW Local Union 24 for [HOW LONG YOU’VE BEEN A MEMBER HERE]. I am writing to urge the BOEM to adjust the Wind Energy Areas (WEAs) for the Atlantic Continental Shelf. With the signing of the Promoting Offshore Wind Energy Resources (POWER) Act, Maryland pledges to develop 8.5 gigawatts of energy by 2031. Currently, the WEAs are not adequate for Maryland to achieve its climate and sustainability goals, as these are estimated to only support 6GW. These WEAs will also have to be shared with neighboring states, which limits the ability for all of us to meet our goals.

This issue is also important for me because I am an Electrical [JOURNEYMAN/APPRENTICE/WORKER], and Offshore Wind in Maryland will create union jobs that will support many working families, such as my own. Diminishing the leasing areas as they are now will disrupt the industry’s investment in Maryland, and negatively affect the amount of work available for the building trades.

So I again request that BOEM expand the leasing areas of WEA B-1 and WEA A-2. Doing so will not only guarantee jobs for working individuals like me, but also keep Maryland and the United States on track to reach all of our sustainable energy goals.

Thank you.

Sincerely,
[YOUR NAME HERE]

Thank you so much for your help and your continued support.

Local 24’s Commitment To Green Energy And Specialized Training Will Create New Opportunities

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The content of this post was published in the August 2023 edition of the I.B.E.W. Government Affairs Newsletter, and is reprinted with permission.

New Initiative Targets Investments, Workforce Growth in Key Cities

With a $2 million grant from the Biden administration and a new state law promoting wind development, Baltimore Local 24 is on the leading edge of the growth potential of offshore wind power.

The Biden administration sees offshore wind development as critical in decarbonizing the electric grid — and the grant is among billions of dollars available to unions, private companies, colleges, and other organizations training workers nationwide to build renewable energy projects and repair aging infrastructure.

The emphasis on training and connecting workers to jobs is critical to the Biden-Harris agenda and key to recently enacted laws like the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act, the CHIPS and Science Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act.

Maryland’s state legislature approved a bill in April to increase its offshore wind capacity to 8.5 gigawatts by2031, which is enough to power 6.3 million homes. Energy developers Orsted and US Wind plan to build offshore turbines 20 miles off the coast of Ocean City by 2026.

The grant will help beef up training for building offshore wind turbines, like water safety, CPR, and working correctly over heights. Although IBEW apprenticeships include training in many subjects, “we don’t typically work over water,” said Local 24 Membership Development Specialist Rico Albacarys.

IBEW apprentices already complete several years of supervised work experience and up to 1,000 hours of classroom training to achieve journey-level status. This global wind organization training will be a required add-on certification for the trades. “Everyone that works on the turbines will need it,” Albacarys said. “Offshore wind is a big deal for us locally.”

Now is the time for workforce training, said Baltimore Electrical JATC Training Director Neil Wilford.
The Biden administration designated Baltimore a workforce hub to provide more significant opportunities for residents and underrepresented communities to advance in good jobs and careers in growth industries. Wilford said the IBEW is among several training providers to receive federal grants through the state, including ironworkers, operating engineers, and carpenters.

To capitalize on this moment, Local 24 hired an organizer whose primary responsibility is increasing outreach to city residents, channeling those interested in pre-apprenticeships that give participants exposure to the trades and special consideration for apprenticeships, Albacarys said.

Crews are retrofitting the former Bethlehem Steel plant at Sparrows Point to produce “monopiles,” the ocean-floor bases to which the turbine towers will be secured. Production is set to start in 2025, US Wind said. The site will also stage towers and blades before moving to the offshore construction site.

As funding made available by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Inflation Reduction Act, and the CHIPS and Science Act moves through government channels, the Biden administration selected 16 cities for similar workforce development initiatives.

Local 24 Joins Celebration Of Inflation Reduction Act On Capitol Hill

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Yesterday LU24 Agent Rico Albacarys represented not only us but all of Labor on Capital Hill at the 1-year anniversary celebration of the Inflation Reduction Act, which has already created many clean energy jobs for American workers.

As Rico says in his speech, these jobs “…will provide for American families for decades to come.” Great work, Brother Albacarys!

Check out his speech here – Rico takes the podium at 35:45 of the video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nW7ahNYn1aI

American workers and our unions are the key to building a new energy economy, and we are ready to get to work.

Rico Albacarys, Local 24 Political Director

Union Activism Pays Off As Maryland Workers Win Right to Subtract Union Dues Off State Income Taxes

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Sometimes members ask why their union wants them to support and participate in political activism. On Monday, May 8, 2023, union members in Maryland got a clear example of how political activism benefits them when Governor Wes Moore signed House Bill 2.

With his signature and the hard work of the Maryland State & DC AFL-CIO and its affiliates, Maryland’s workers finally regained the ability to subtract their union dues on their state income taxes (without itemizing). This shows that the state understands union dues are an investment in the working class. This is a victory for workers throughout Maryland and the State Federation’s coordinated campaign made it possible.

Business Manager Mike McHale (back row, 5th from right) and Asst. Business Agent Rico Albacarys (back row, 2nd from right) were in Annapolis for the official bill signing ceremony.

IBEW Local 24’s leadership and members joined the State Federation and other affiliated unions in the years-long fight to restore this benefit for years after Trump’s 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act removed it. This session, like last year, the House of Delegates put a cap on the subtraction and through our collective campaign of emails, calls and signs we were able to have the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee and the full Senate remove the cap and pass the bill as introduced. 

Governor Wes Moore presented Asst. Business Agent Rico Albacarys with one of the pens used to sign HB 2.

Kick Off Your Holiday Season With A Toy Donation

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Calling all big-hearted union members! We are looking for lots of Santa’s helpers to donate unwrapped toys for children from infants to age 16.

The toys will be included in holiday baskets, which are prepared each year by the AFL-CIO Community Services of Central MD. Baskets are given to our fellow union members who are in need and/or suffering financial hardship this Christmas season. Each member will receive a Giant gift card to purchase a ham or turkey along with a basket filled with food. Members with children will receive a gift for each child up to 16 years of age.

Local 24 member Blaine Boone, who is the director of AFL-CIO Community Services of Central MD, said “The toys given to the children of families bring so much joy to those who need it most during the holiday season. And we need your help to ensure that that joy continues this year.”

Community Services is located on the first floor of IBEW Local 24’s building, so if you are coming by the hall for a meeting or referral you can easily drop off your toy donation.

If you don’t get into Baltimore much, please consider buying a toy online and shipping it to:

AFL-CIO Community Services of Central MD
Attn: Blaine Boone
2701 W. Patapsco Ave., Suite 110
Baltimore, MD 21230

Earn EVITP Certification Through The Baltimore Electrical JATC At Substantial Savings

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The Baltimore Electrical JATC is offering the Electrical Vehicle Infrastructure Training Program (EVITP), a 20-hour course for journey-level electricians to get trained and certified to build the United States’ electric vehicle charging system. At a cost of only $85, this option offers significant savings as compared to the course offered on the EVITP website for $275. The Baltimore Electrical JATC certification class is open to any Local 24 JW member who is currently working for a contributing employer, or has been laid off by a contributing employer in the last 12 months. For more information or to enroll, contact the JATC at 410 247-3313.




In a recent letter to business managers, IBEW International President Lonnie R. Stephenson said, “EVITP is a nationally recognized training standard for installing electric vehicle supply equipment, and the federal government is expected to require the training, which it considers essential to the safe long-term operation and maintenance of the electric vehicle charging infrastructure. This advanced skill program builds on the platform of qualified electricians’ extensive knowledge, skills and experience, so EVITP certification is easily accomplished for many IBEW journey-level workers, requiring a short, 20-hour course, available in person at IBEW training centers and online.”

LU 24 Pres. Sam Curreri Part Of Labor Delegation To Atlantic Trade Talks

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Baltimore Local 24 President Sam Curreri, third from left, was among the labor delegation to meet with
U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai and her counterpart from the United Kingdom, International Trade Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan.

U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai, along with her counterpart from the United Kingdom, International Trade Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan, met with business and labor leaders at the Port of Baltimore on March 21 to discuss Atlantic trade. Local 24 President Sam Curreri was part of that group, there to be a voice for our members during the roundtable summit.

Discussions over terms of a bilateral trade agreement under consideration between the U.S. and U.K. changed when the Biden administration took over, Curreri said. Talks shifted away from a free trade agreement (FTA) model. An article on Politico predicted that in current negotiations, “Tai will emphasize several key priorities in her discussions with Trevelyan, the senior USTR official said. Those include enhancing labor rights, making workplaces safer, supporting domestic investments, building more competitive workforces…”

Curreri said he was glad to participate in talks representing labor in a global trade setting and cautioned that even industrialized countries like the United States and the United Kingdom need to be mindful of
agreements allowing supply chains that include factories with exploited workers in underdeveloped countries.

According to The Washington Post, “areas that Tai and Trevelyan said they’d work on include:

• Helping small and medium-sized businesses to trade by identifying barriers and sharing best practices

• Supporting the digitalization of transactions and trading systems

• Develop inclusive trade policies, protecting labor rights and tackling forced labor

• Building more resilient supply chains, in particular for food

“There are no better folks to sit at the table than folks who negotiate a contract every couple of years,” Curreri said. “I hope I have the opportunity to go back.”

Prior to meeting with the labor delegation, Ambassador Tai and Secretary Trevelyan participated in a tour led by Maryland Port Administration Executive Director William Doyle. Ambassador Tai and Secretary Trevelyan were joined by Senator Ben Cardin, Senator Chris Van Hollen, Congressman C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger, and Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott.

Following the tour, Ambassador Tai noted the important role the Port of Baltimore plays in U.S. commerce and trade policy. She also emphasized how the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will help the Port of Baltimore, and ensure the United States maintains its global competitive edge.

Portions of this article originally appeared in the most recent edition of the I.B.E.W.’S Building America Back Better Newsletter.

22nd Annual Family Picnic Is Sunday, August 14

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Get your tickets now, for a fun-filled day with your family and your fellow Local 24 members. Our 22nd Annual Family Picnic will be held at Conrad’s Ruth Villa and will feature games and fun activities for all ages and lots of tasty food.

 

Tickets are $10 for members or $25 for member + family.

All requests for tickets must be postmarked no later than Monday, July 25, 2022.

If purchasing tickets in person, at the union hall, tickets must be purchased by July 29, 2022.

 

 

Credit card payment will be accepted for tickets.

 

If you have not received your order form in the mail, or you have other questions, please call the Hall at 410 247-5511.

Local 24 Scholarship Applications Have Been Mailed

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Business Manager Mike McHale is pleased to announce that the IBEW Local 24 Scholarship Fund will again be awarding scholarships this year. Information packages including application forms have been mailed to all active members.

All active members in good standing and their dependents, who are enrolled or will be enrolled in an institution of higher education, are eligible to apply. Scholarship applications must be postmarked before September 1, 2022.

Scholarship winners will be selected randomly from the pool of qualified applicants. This is an equal opportunity scholarship. The award is to be considered without regard to race, gender, religion, age or disability or any other consideration prohibited by law.

Scholarships are not need-based, and applicants do not need to meet a certain income level to qualify for the scholarships.

Please contact Neil Wilford at 410 247-3313 or ibewlocal24scholarships@gmail.com if you have any questions.

What Matters To You? Take The Union Member Survey To Weigh In

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Union members worked together across the labor movement to win many important victories for working people last year. We secured historic funding and investment in our nation’s infrastructure, saved our pensions, and unleashed a wave of union organizing.

Passing pro-worker laws will strengthen us at the bargaining table so we can care for ourselves and our families.

Union members need to be talking to each other about the issues so we can work together to advance our shared agenda. That’s why we’re asking: “What do you care about?” Right now, it might be your cost of living, as we all experience skyrocketing prices at the gas station and in the grocery store. The graphic below illustrates some of the factors leading to rising costs, and how a working people’s agenda can help fix them.

You can tell us what your priorities are in less than 5 minutes. Complete the survey and together we can improve the lives of working people across the country!