Playing the Long Game for Good Jobs

IBEW 11 spends a lot of time and political capital in relationship building – with our elected officials, with developers, with our various subcontractors – in order to fill the pipeline for good jobs for our members for years to come. 

A good example of the fruits of that relationship building came last month with our valuable $2.7 billion Convention Center expansion victory – a project that should be completed just in time for the 2028 Olympics. Expanding the convention center had been on the city’s wish list for many years, but the project always got delayed. This time, thanks in part to our behind-the-scenes relationship building, near constant communications with all parties involved, and many meetings with council members about the merits of the project, we were able to overcome the resistance and finally all that hard work paid off. In the end, not only the city, but our members, will be better off having a modern convention center that will attract many new conventions and meetings.

What exactly does this victory mean for our members? Expect job calls to start in the next few weeks. Rosendin Electric is just setting up their trailers and logistics now. And because the project is fast tracked, we are expecting two shifts a day translating into thousands of man hours. 

Yes on Prop 50

I want to call your attention to an important election right around the corner, and why we are urging our members to vote YES on Prop 50 on the Nov. 4th. Once again, we are fighting for our members and their families, making sure California doesn’t get left behind. Unfortunately, other Republican, anti-union states around the country are rigging the system to change the rules of the 2026 midterm elections. 

They are restricting to change the boundaries of the election to retain their power. But over the past several months, we have watched this anti-union administration cancel and shut down infrastructure job after job, causing hundreds of thousands of IBEW members around the country to be laid off. The Trump administration has been no friend to labor. They have even clawed back funds that were allocated years ago like offshore wind projects on the East Coast, causing havoc, layoffs and billions in wasted money.

I don’t believe any of our members who voted for this administration voted for cancelled projects, tariffs or higher food prices. So please vote YES for Prop 50 to balance the scales and give working families a fighting chance.

More Work in Antelope Valley

I’m also pleased to report that our good relationships with both sides of the aisle in the more conservative Antelope Valley have paid off. The Palmdale city council just passed a citywide Community Workforce Agreement (CWA), that will create hundreds of jobs for our members who live in that area. 

This CWA is a good example of how we look beyond party lines and how we can work together with all our elected officials to create good jobs for our members. We can work with politicians who understand the value of a skilled and trained workforce that brings good jobs and good value to the community. See the story on page 1 for more information
on this CWA. It’s a win-win for
all sides.

On a final note, I want to give a shout out to our Business Development Representative Tommy Faavae, who was appointed earlier this year to the Director on the District 1 Water Board. A 25-year IBEW member, Tommy is the first labor voice elected to the Water Board. With this appointment, he gives labor’s voice a seat at the table – a voice that wasn’t there previously. In his role, he can better promote the value of using a skilled and trained workforce on Water District jobs, as well as the quality workforce that comes from prevailing wage jobs. 

We encourage all of our members to run for local offices, from school board to water district to council seats. By being active and involved in our communities, we can better promote the value of IBEW built projects. As someone has said before, “If we are not at the table then we will be part of the menu!”

In solidarity, 

Robert Corona
Business Manager/Financial Secretary