Local 11’s Ahmad Jamal Finds a Way Out and a Path Forward 

By Robert Fulton

Of all the neon lights blazing along the Las Vegas Strip, one spot burns especially brightly for Local 11’s Ahmad Jamal: Sphere – that state-of-the-art orb that is home to films, concerts, and scores of big-ticket events. It tops Jamal’s professional resume.  

“That’s one of my proudest jobs because I was there. I worked on that project,” said Jamal, a Local 11 Inside Wireman. “That was me, and not just me in the background opening boxes. They had me hanging 250 feet in the air for hours doing the work, where once I couldn’t go up two flights. I take pride in that.”

There’s another site, while it doesn’t light up the tourist skyline, brings the San Fernando Valley native even greater satisfaction. It’s a new, two-bedroom, two-bath townhouse – the first piece of property Jamal has owned.

For a man who spent more than half his life in prison and was given a second chance through his profession and membership with Local 11, purchasing that house was the embodiment of a dream come true. 

“I just paid my first mortgage in September,” Jamal said. “My mom never owned her own home, so being able to buy a house and take care of my wife, to buy that home for us, that’s been a lifetime goal. It’s something I can leave to the kids when I pass on.”

“Having vehicles and being able to take vacations, given where I came from, things like that are huge for me,” Jamal added. “I’m not rich, but the doors that have opened up for me by being in the union have allowed me to do these things.” 

Employed by Sunbelt, he is currently working on the expansion of the L.A. County High Desert Regional Health Center. The work is steady and pays a good union wage, and he can work on a diverse slate of projects because electricians are needed everywhere – especially union electricians.

“It’s always nice to see a finished product, as opposed to working the docks, or retail, or Home Depot,” Jamal said. “If I’m driving on the freeway and I see one of the buildings, the finished product gives me a sense of purpose and a sense of pride, and I love that.”

The Long Road Forward

Before this career as an electrician, Jamal’s life was far less steady. 

Shortly after he turned 17, Jamal went to prison for murder for an incident that happened when he was in high school. During the 25 years he was incarcerated, he worked to rebuild the trust of his wife and child and also establish that he would be a positive member of the community upon his release.

“I think I went through the process three or four times,” Jamal said. “They just said, ‘You’re not ready, you’re not ready, no, no, no, you’re not ready.’ I spent a lot of my time in prison feeling useless, like I had wasted my life.”

After his release in 2014, Jamal found himself out of work. He kicked around the L.A. area, working at warehouses, valeting cars, and taking low-wage temp jobs – anything to help reacclimate himself and rebuild his relationship with his family. Ultimately, he joined an open invitation to learn solar work and spent the next two years going from job to job.

Hours in the solar field were long, and the wages weren’t lucrative. Jamal worked hard to keep up with his younger co-workers, but at the age of 47 he aspired to find a career that was less grueling and better paying.

A New Union Life…

Jamal then became aware of Local 11, and the union became aware of him. Local 11 Organizers Mitch Klein, Ben Frank, and John Harriel educated Jamal and his solar industry co-workers about the advantages available through the union.

“I told them, ‘Man I just need a job. I need a j-o-b,’” Jamal said. “I had no idea how my life would change being in the union.”

Jamal entered the Local 11 apprenticeship program, which required him to go back to school to catch up on some math classes.

“It was a challenge not just because of the material but balancing both the apprenticeship and work and family life all at the same time,” Jamal said. “I was a little intimidated, but it worked out pretty good.”

He grew to quickly appreciate the camaraderie among his fellow union workers, especially after they helped him get over his fear of heights while working on a 37-story tower in downtown Los Angeles, one of his first jobs as an apprentice.

Jamal turned out of the program having learned a valuable trade, something he knows nobody can take away from him. His wife and three children – ages 23 to 36 – are all proud of what he has accomplished. 

When he speaks to individuals who have gone through 2nd Call – the nonprofit dedicated to saving lives by helping other formerly incarcerated and high-risk men and women – Jamal spreads messages of hope and union Brotherhood and Sisterhood. 

They, too, can become thriving citizens, he insists, especially with the help of IBEW 11.

“There’s a way out from crime; there’s a way out,” Jamal said. “Everyone says there are no jobs and that people aren’t hiring, but there’s nothing like having a trade or being involved in our craft. Local 11 is a lovely fraternity. It’s a lovely opportunity to be a part of it.”