IBEW Local 40’s Graduating Apprentices See a Whole New Journey Ahead
By Oren Peleg
The Sheraton Universal’s Starview ballroom high above the San Fernando Valley was buzzing with pride this month as 20 members of IBEW Local 40 celebrated their graduation from apprenticeship into full-fledged Journeymen.
“This is a big deal. I can’t understate this,” Local 40 Business Manager Stephan Davis told the graduating class and their families.
The graduates had worked hard, Davis said, and through their dedication and determination put themselves on a path to a well-paying IBEW career and membership into a Brotherhood and Sisterhood that will last a lifetime.
“You have accomplished something that you’re going to carry with you for the rest of your life,” Davis said. “Even if you decide to go a different route, you will always have this skill, you will always have this trade. You are now a Journeyman.”
In addition to their new rise through the union ranks, Local 40’s new graduating class will now have access to IBEW’s healthcare plan, pension program, and a starting wage higher than that of 80 percent of L.A. County’s residents.
Ceremony guest speaker, Cristen Harrington, consultant with the California Division of Apprenticeship Standards, said graduates are starting a new union chapter that is filled with rewards.
“This career is awesome,” Harrington said. “We have better working hours than most of the rest of the country. And how many of you have not gone somewhere and told your kids, ‘See that? I built that.'”
And electricians are all the more essential, stressed Harrington. “Everything we do runs on electricity these days. So, thank you.”
Outstanding Graduates Earn Their Due
Local 40 also singled out and celebrated several stand-out graduates for their exceptional achievements.
Isaac Vasquez received the prestigious Outstanding Apprentice Award, while Andrew Guzman earned the Punctuality Award for consistently turning in his OJT sheets.
Isaac Vasquez (center) was awarded the prestigious Outstanding Apprentice Award by Local 40 Business Manager Stephan Davis (l) and Apprentice Coordinator Jesse Barron (r)
Andrew Trejo and Jason Miranian were recognized for being the first and second to pass state certification, respectively. Matthew Lyneis was recognized for his outstanding work ethic, and Anthony Marino received an honor for having the highest GPA of the class.
Each graduating member was given tools they can use on the job, donated by the ceremony’s sponsors: a tape measure from Milwaukee, a flip socket conduit reamer from Klein Tools, and a water-resistant tool case from DeWalt.
“It was a promising wage, and it seemed like a bright future with the union,” graduate Henry Garcia said of his decision to join IBEW. Garcia, who now works as a Journeyman at the Warner Brothers Ranch, urged first-year apprentices starting out in the program “to stay focused.”
“Commit to it,” Garcia said. “In the long run, as long as we commit and put in the work, we’re all going to be in the same spot.”
For graduate Brandi Madison, the ceremony was “more powerful” than she expected.
“My name was in the program,” Madison said, adding that seeing classmates with their families and kids “and to see how they’ve grown, was very touching. I started getting teary-eyed.”
The graduates’ camaraderie was palpable throughout. After five years of apprenticeship, working hard in the field and in the classroom, the newly turned-out Journeymen spent much of the luncheon sharing a laugh, introducing their families, and taking photos.
“I’ve worked alongside a lot of these graduates as well as been their teacher, and this group’s level of work ethic – that’s their major strength,” said Local 40 instructor Dwayne Cook.
Being the first class to have their entire apprenticeship take place post-pandemic also helped fashion students who are “more adept at finding the answer themselves, rather than asking the teacher,” which might translate into making them more resilient on the job, Cook said.
“I know all of these graduates are going to be great leaders, if not at work then at home,” said Outstanding Apprentice Vasquez, who is now a Journeyman/Inside Wireman at Universal Studios. “This gives us the confidence to know that we’re going to be able to provide for our families and future generations.”
Graduates Speak Out:
OMAIR QADIR: “Ask a lot of questions, keep your head down, and as long as you have a good work ethic and you genuinely care about what you’re doing, you’ll be all right.“
CIVEN JONES: “It’s still a journey after today. You’re still learning. You’re growing. Even though I’ve completed a program, I still have a way to go. There are still things I’m learning every day. So, to me, this is just a starting block on a lifelong road.“
ANTHONY MARINO: “You feel the connection. Everybody pushes each other, advocates for each other, and we always learn from each other. It brings us together and teaches you a great work ethic. And, if somebody’s struggling somewhere, we always help out. You don’t get that in many other places.“
