Renewable Energy, Diverse Membership: Top Priorities for Local Union

The five year apprenticeship program at The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 490 in Concord hit a big milestone last month. The five indentured apprentices of the second year class, Alex Hoyt, Forrest Holmes, Derek McCarthy, Logan Magnon, and one woman, Samantha Novotny, were sworn into the IBEW Local 490 Union on Thursday, Nov. 5, 2015, according to a press statement.

The apprenticeship program is one of a kind within the education system today. Class curriculum is free of charge to those who apply and are accepted; something unheard of today. The program receives no grants or funding from outside organizations.

Full financing for the program comes from within the organization via funds from current union negotiated contracts which also provides each union worker with benefits including, pension, annuity, health care, and of course education like the apprenticeship program.

After passing an aptitude test and interview the applicants are accepted into the program. Students work in the field during the week and attend classroom instruction on Saturdays. They must maintain a 75 percent average in order to remain in the program. Jonathan Mitchell, a program instructor for the last 18 years, is especially excited about this second year class, “This group has proven to be one of the best classes we’ve taken in. A potpourri of personalities and backgrounds have made for an interesting crew to watch.”

Hoyt, a 28 year old from Milton, chose this career because of its immense worth, “The electrician career path is a valuable one to know as well as one of the more important trades out there, in my opinion.”

“The union benefits are very important to me, especially since I have kids. I’ll need health care for them as well as myself,” Hoyt added.

Also from Milton, Holmes was drawn to the electrical trade union because of the challenge it presented him.

“I’m learning new things every day,” said Holmes. Though, there is one obstacle he could do without, “The biggest issue about being an electrician (for me) is the tight spaces! Not much you can do about that though!” he says with a laugh. Holmes, though only 22, goes on to add that he is looking forward to the perks of union retirement!

A 23-year-old from Kingston, Derek McCarthy stepped into the trade industry knowing no other electricians.

“I chose the union over other programs because of the reputation they had based on skill and benefits,” said McCarthy. Adding, “The greatest benefit (for me) has been the experience I’ve built already after such a short period of time. I’ve been placed with a great contractor and an awesome, knowledgeable, fun group of classmates. They’ve made my training exceptional thus far. The amount of information to take in is overwhelming but in a good way. However, coupled with a great learning facility it has made things pretty smooth for me.”

Logan Magnon, from Barrington, and is one of the older students (32) in the second year class. Magnon chose a trade as a career because he sees a strong future within the industry itself.

“By belonging to a union I feel that I am a part of something that is bigger than myself,” Magnon said.

Samantha Novotny, a 22-year-old from Hancock, is the only woman in the second year class. It’s no surprise that finding women within trade industry is a rarity but for Novotny she was naturally drawn to it.

“I admire the workings of electricity and enjoy the hands on mechanical work. There are so many different categories of electrical work that you can do and which is what really drew me to this trade,” said Novotny. “The training so far has been extremely helpful and it’s a comfortable feeling knowing any questions I have about work, or membership will always be answered and without judgment.”

Though it is rare to see students like Novotny participate in the apprenticeship program, IBEW Local 490 is striving to remove those many barriers for females within the trade industry today. Future programs to encourage this are in the works.

In addition to focusing on a more diverse union membership, the school at IBEW Local 490 strives to keep their students up to date on the many renewable energy sources. “We’ve been doing renewable energy and conservation work for decades,” said long time instructor Jonathan Mitchell.

Denis Beaudoin Business Manager of IBEW local 490 is very pleased with the students and training. He is fully aware of the solar and wind energy opportunities that are creating a big boom for our industry. Creating more demand and thus more jobs.

“We want to make sure that all our students are prepared for this change,” Beaudoin added.

Caption: In front of desk from left to right: Samantha Novotny, Forrest Holmes, Logan Magnon, Derek McCarthy, Alex Hoyt. Behind the desk from left to right: Secretary Travis Pomerleau, President Daniel Woods