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APRI San Francisco, Black & Veatch Construction and IBEW team up for PG&E TRANSMISSION PROJECT JOB FAIR

(A. Philip Randolph Institute)

JOB FAIR OFFERS OPPORTUNITIES ON PG&E TRANSMISSION PROJECT

A Job Fair co-hosted by IBEW Local 1245 on March 29 offered San Francisco residents an opportunity to apply for entry-level jobs on a Black & Veatch construction project.

Beginning early Saturday morning, March 29, 80 people lined up at the Providence Baptist Church to be interviewed for positions to build the Martin to Hunters Point 115kV Transmission Line Project. The Martin-Hunters Point Project is a 5.1 mile long underground construction project for PG&E that connects two existing substations.

IBEW Local 1245 Assistant Business Manager greets job applicants getting ready to attend the job fair at Providence Baptist Church in San Francisco.

Black & Veatch Construction Inc. made a commitment to PG&E to hire at least 20% qualified local hires for the project. To facilitate the selection of qualified local hires, Black & Veatch worked closely with IBEW Local 1245, Underground Construction Co., and CityBuild, a San Francisco agency that seeks to connect city residents with work.

The labor-backed A. Philip Randolph Institute secured the church for the recruiting effort and provided assistance in reaching out to the local community for job applicants.

San Francisco has a law mandating that first source/local hiring requirements apply to all contractors and subcontractors working in San Francisco. CityBuild is the operational arm of the City’s First Source Hiring Ordinance for all construction projects.

Black & Veatch staff met with CityBuild staff to help them understand the Project, safety requirements, and qualities sought in local hires.

CityBuild scoured its lists of graduates and associates to select 30 of the most qualified candidates to invite to the March 29 interview session.

Coordinating the application process were, from left: Local 1245 Assistant Business Manager Ron Cochran, Local 1245 Business Representative Landis Marttila, Miguel Martinez (Black & Veatch), Mike Carlton (Underground Constructors Co.), Alex Francois (CityBuild) and Joseph Bryant (A. Philip Randolph Institute).

CityBuild also worked with these selected candidates to ensure candidates were prepared for the interview session.

On the morning of the interviews, 80 people showed up ready to apply for available project positions. IBEW Local 1245—represented by Assistant Business Manager Ron Cochran, Business Rep. Landis Marttila and Communications Director Eric Wolfe—helped applicants fill out the application forms and explained the advantages that come with union membership.

“Our union knows that the future belongs to people with skills,” said Cochran. “We told the applicants that this project offered them an opportunity to earn a decent wage, pick up some valuable work experience, get their foot in the door of this industry, and find out how union membership can put them on a path toward a better standard of living.”

CityBuild and Black & Veatch staff conducted the nearly 7-hour marathon of interviews.

The purpose of PG&E’s Martin-Hunters Point Project is to increase system transmission capacity so future electric demand can be reliably served under normal, contingent, and reduced generation scenarios, according to Black & Veatch Public Liaison Miguel Martinez.

A total of 80 people filled out applications at the Job Fair.