Today, IBEW 569 Business Manager Nick Segura spoke before the California Air Resources Board (CARB) in favor of the Innovative Clean Transit Rule = Clean Air, IBEW Jobs, and Climate Action! Check out his remarks below and this LA Times editorial for more details: https://www.latimes.com/opinion/editorials/la-ed-zero-emission-buses-20181214-story.html.
Remarks of IBEW 568 Business Manager Nick Segura
Before California Air Resources Board (CARB)
Re: Innovative Clean Transit Rule.
December 14, 2018
Good morning Chair Nichols, members of the Board, and CARB staff.
My name is Nick Segura and I am the Business Manager of IBEW Local 569 in San Diego. I travelled to attend this meeting so I could express the strong support of our 3,400 members for the Zero Emission Bus rule.
Your yes vote is very important to IBEW members for many reasons including:
- Reducing greenhouse gases;
- The health of our greater San Diego and Imperial County communities, and all of California, and
- Three categories of jobs:
First, California has become the capitol of electric bus building in the U.S. and a considerable number of good manufacturing jobs have been created. With a yes vote today, thousands more will gain a ticket to the middle class. While not IBEW jobs, they are important to the people who get them, and to the economic health of our state.
Second, the additional electric infrastructure needed to charge electric buses will put thousands of IBEW electricians to work, and
Third, there will be even more electrical training and jobs for disadvantaged communities. The IBEW is making sure that the communities that most need good paying jobs with benefits will be a substantial part of the ZEB bus infrastructure workforce. The IBEW recruits members of disadvantaged communities, women, and veterans into our 21 California apprenticeship training programs and turns out electricians who have more than a job – but a valuable life-long career in a great trade. They will play a major role in building ZEB electrical infrastructure.
Finally, there is enthusiastic IBEW support for the ZEB rule all across California. That could be expressed by numerous IBEW speakers lining up behind me but we are conscious of and concerned about the long agenda you are trying to get through.
Therefore, at this time I’d like to ask the IBEW and NECA members here today, from around California, to stand up in an expression of their enthusiastic support of a yes vote.
Thank you.
