IBEW Local 58 to triple number of Detroit resident members as 3rd skilled trades union to commit to STEP

• Electrical workers to grow Detroit resident membership over 10 years 
• Plumbers and Carpenters also have committed to Mayor’s Skilled Trades Employment Program
• Part of effort to train Detroiters to fill growing number of skilled trades jobs in the city

DETROIT, Michigan – The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 58 has become the third major union to sign an agreement with the City of Detroit committing it to significantly expanding career opportunities for Detroiters in the skilled trades, Mayor Mike Duggan and Local 58 Business Manager Brian Richard announced today. 

The new partnership with IBEW Local 58 is part of the Mayor’s Skilled Trades Employment Program (STEP). Under the program, the City partners with local unions and their apprenticeship programs to establish annual goals that will help increase the percentage of Detroiters in that Local’s membership. The electricians join the plumbers and carpenters unions, both of which signed similar agreements in the past two years.

Under its agreement, Local 58 will triple the number of Detroit residents to be trained as electrical workers over the next decade. To meet this goal, the Electrical Workers have pledged to increase the percentage of Detroiters in first-year apprenticeship programs year-over-year going forward until their membership goal is met. IBEW expects to reach 25% by 2022 and meet that goal each following year.

“We are pleased to partner with the City of Detroit through the Mayor’s STEP program. We believe this partnership with the City will help us reach our goal of tripling the amount of our members that live in the City of Detroit,” said Brian Richard. “This is a continuation of IBEW Local 58’s efforts to recruit and communicate our opportunities in Detroit, including our efforts at Randolph Career Tech Center, to career days and job fairs at Detroit schools, as well as community service efforts. Through STEP, we are formalizing these efforts.”

Local 58 has represented electrical workers in Detroit for more than 100 years. Headquartered in Detroit’s Corktown neighborhood, IBEW Local 58 represents more than 4,800 journeyman electrical workers in Southeastern Michigan. 

“Construction work in Detroit is growing with no signs of slowing down and the most important question to me is whether Detroiters are participating in these opportunities,” said Mayor Duggan. “Thanks the leadership of IBEW Local 58, an additional 500 Detroiters over the next 10 years will be trained as electrical workers and have a clear path to a well-paying career helping to rebuild our city.” 

STEP Agreements provide opportunities

Under STEP partnerships with Plumbers Local 98 and the Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters and Millwrights (locals 687, 1045 and 1243), at least 1,500 Detroiters will be trained to become electricians, carpenters and plumbers over approximately the next 10 years.

As Detroit’s construction boom continues, the demand for skilled trades workers will continue to rise, and the STEP partnerships are already working to train Detroiters for the open positions.

So far, the first two unions have exceeded their commitments to adding Detroit residents.

• Plumbers apprenticeship program currently has 29% Detroit residents
• The Carpenters apprenticeship program currently has 26% Detroit residents

Nearly 1 million hours worked so far by Detroiters under Executive Order

Progress toward the training goals are monitored by the City of Detroit’s Department of Civil Rights, Inclusion, and Opportunity, the same department that monitors residency requirements for construction projects that fall under the city’s executive order on hiring (Executive Order 2016-1).

Contractors who hire participating STEP partner unions will be considered in compliance with Executive Order, provided they meet their target of Detroiter participation in new apprenticeship classes and membership within their Local. The Executive Order requires that 51% of construction workers to be bona-fide Detroit residents. 

“Since the city started monitoring projects that fall under the Executive Order, Detroit residents have worked nearly one million construction hours and counting and we’ve collected over $6 million for our training fund,” said CRIO Director Charity Dean. “This agreement with IBEW Local 58 means that more Detroiters will have a share in the next one million hours worked.”

Other contractors that can’t meet the percentage requirement due to the shortage of trained skilled trades workers from Detroit can be considered compliant with the Order by contributing financially to the city’s workforce fund. Those proceeds are used to fund programs to train Detroiters in the various skilled trades disciplines and fill the gaps in skilled trades workers. 

So far, the $6 million in compliance contributions has gone towards job training programs for Detroit residents at locations like the Randolph Career Technical Center. There, hundreds of high school students receive hands-on training to provide strong fundamental skills in six Construction Trades programs like carpentry, electrical, plumbing, masonry, and more. At night, adults are trained in the same programs, in the same classrooms with the same equipment. The contributions also provide funding for additional programs including:

• Basic construction skills training
• Pre-apprenticeship programs
• Commercial Driver’s License certifications
• Lead and Asbestos remediation training
• Certifications in carpentry, electrical wiring and green construction

Dean’s department will conduct regular compliance checks to ensure participating unions are making progress towards reaching the agreed-upon goals.

Get Involved

Residents looking for a career in skilled trades can sign up for training and learn more through Detroit at Work by visiting DetroitatWork.com or calling 313-962-9675. Residents can also contact the unions directly. For the Carpenters and Millwrights visit hammer9.com or call 888-HAMMER9. For the Plumbers, visit ualocal98.org or call 248-307-9800. For the IBEW, visit ibewlocal58.org, detroiteitc.org or call 313-963-2130. From the new bridge to Canada, to building skyscrapers, to blight removal, the list of career pathways is growing and there has never been a better time to get started than now.