Local 11’s Unit 14 Keeps L.A. Powered Up and Moving

By Robert Fulton

The City and County of Los Angeles is a behemoth that takes an army to keep running.

For IBEW Local 11, that army is Unit 14, Civil Service. The workers in Los Angeles County Public Works Department’s Traffic Signal Division is part of IBEW Local 11’s Unit 14 Civil Service group. 

Unit 14’s electricians do the unheralded work that keeps Los Angeles moving. Streets stay lit, schools get powered, airports buzz with energy, and public facilities remain safe and operational because of them.

“LA County’s Public Works Traffic Technician Training Program (TTTP) is one-of-a-kind, on-the-job training program that prepares employees to advance into a journeyman Traffic Signal Electrician position,” said Edward Carmona-Leon, L.A. County Department of Public Works Chief Electrician. “Traffic technicians gain valuable knowledge and experience from our Signal Construction, Shop, Maintenance and Street Lighting groups and are educated about various safety work related topics and precautions.”

For Unit 14 co-business agent Alex Flores, who stepped into the position in June after longtime leader Luis Arida moved on to take on a new role as Local 11 Assistant Business Manager, his new job has been a constant learning experience. 

Flores, a 30-year Local 11 member, described the work of civil service electricians as different from that of inside wiremen, who focus on installation in construction projects.

“Civil service is more governmental,” Flores said. “It’s more maintenance work than the inside wireman, where you’re installing the material, the devices. It is a different mindset, but you still take pride in your work and what you’re doing.”

Flores said in his role as representative, he has the added responsibility to ensure members across agencies are treated fairly. “I’m here to make sure they’re getting paid correctly, to make sure of their rights and working conditions,” he said.

Partnership and Teamwork

Flores shares leadership with Yezdan Marquez, who stepped into his co-business agent role in January after 23 years with Los Angeles County Department of Public Works. Marquez worked his way up from apprentice to journeyman, running traffic signal crews for more than a decade, including as a Shop Steward.

Marquez emphasizes that civil service work brings unique challenges compared to the private sector, such as MOUs that run hundreds of pages, but the safety of his crews has always been his primary focus.

 “I’m a big safety guy, so safety is the most important for my guys,” Marquez says. “I want to make sure that our members are content. I want them to be safe. I want them to get paid what they deserve. That’s my goal.  I try to resolve problems. I try to help everybody as much as I can.”

Both Flores and Marquez express admiration for their predecessor, Arida, who represented hundreds of Unit 14 members for years before taking on his new role. “I still don’t know how Luis did it for so many years,” Marquez says. “He did a fantastic job.”

Now, with nearly 1,000 civil service workers represented, Flores and Marquez are focused on strengthening membership. Marquez says that when he was a Shop Steward, about 70 percent of workers had signed up for the union. His target is 90 percent.

“My goal is to get the membership up, because the better the membership, the stronger the union, and the better contracts we get for our members,” Marquez said.

Both Flores and Marquez agree their union membership has been the resources that has helped power their careers.

“It’s the best thing that happened to me,” Marquez said, of joining the union. “I think it’s the best thing that could happen to any employee. You get representation. There’s a voice.  It’s a brotherhood. It’s a blessing being part of a union. It’s just something that helps out the community.”

Flores says the union has shaped his life. “It’s done a lot for me. It’s given me education, and it’s a big family helping each other out.”