Contractors

Come Join our Union!

It’s worth your while to sign with IBEW 213

A new electrical Employer often finds himself signing a collective agreement with our union because their employees took the initiative and signed union cards to join the union.  Other times, the company’s management approaches us for a voluntary recognition.

Access to the talent pool

There are many good reasons for an electrical Employer to do so. The main reason is to gain access to the union’s pool of ticketed and qualified foremen, journeymen and apprentices who are the bedrock of the work an electrical Employer performs.  IBEW 213 represents the very best of the electrical trade, and we maintain that quality by operating our own training school and offering apprenticeship and trades upgrading courses on an ongoing basis to ensure our people maintain their knowledge at the leading edge of the industry.

Dan Mott, President, Mott Electric Ltd., states: "As a signatory company, we have access to a well-trained pool of skilled workers who are ready, able, and willing to work. Mott Electric has had a 75-year relationship with IBEW 213. Like all relationships, it has been tested; but it has evolved into a true partnership based on cooperation.”

 

Cost certainty

Also, when you work with a collective agreement, you know where you stand with your crews.  Wage rates, benefits, hours of work – all the terms of employment are laid out, so there is no guesswork. You can bid future work with greater certainty around core costs, and IBEW 213 will work with you to create the right crews for the job.

Ron Fettback, General Superintendent, Western Pacific Enterprises Ltd., says: "We've been a signatory company since 1973. One of the main advantages is having a good quality workforce available on a moment's notice. I can chase large projects or downsize depending on the market.”

 

Local 213 also handles all of the administration around health and welfare, pension and other payments as their workers move from your job to another Employer. Their dispatch system means workers are sent to your project as needed, and when the job is finished they’re off your payroll and they return to the dispatch system for their next job. Safety on the job is a top priority for IBEW 213 and its members, so they are your first line of defense against high WorksafeBC costs.

Joe Haug of Four Star Electric says:" I've been with the IBEW for 25 years and I wouldn't do business any other way. The relationship is excellent."

 

Our partnership

IBEW 213 understands that its members success depends on the success of the signatory employers.  This reasoning lies behind the development of the Electrical Industry Advancement Fund. Employers can draw on this fund to lower their wage costs when they are bidding for contracts against non-union companies who are paying lower wages.

Ron Fettback, General Superintendent, Western Pacific Enterprises Ltd., says: " The union continues to look for ways to help us become competitive and offers new approaches to solving problems in the market. IBEW 213 is very fair to deal with, and we've always been able to resolve any differences."

 

It’s just one of the strategies which demonstrates the new relationship between Employers and the union. Helping our members secure work is the core objective on which the union is judged by the members. We know that collaboration in making Employers more successful means more work for Local 213 members.  Establishing and maintaining good working relationships in an environment of mutual understanding is the best way of ensuring success for both.  We’re partners.  That’s the IBEW 213 commitment to our signatory Employers.

Dan Mott, President, Mott Electric Ltd., states: "” Despite changes in the market over time, we have been able to substantially grow our volumes. This is the true testimony to the success of working together."

 

Find out more

To explore a partnership with IBEW 213 for your company, contact our Organizing Office: organizing@ibew213.org