ST. LOUIS – At a time when the slumping housing
market has many union electricians out of work,
The Electrical Connection
has come up with a novel way to support workers
as it fulfills its 2008 pledge to
Habitat for Humanity St. Louis. The
labor-management group is donating $190,000 in
materials and services, including full-time pay
and fringe benefits to out-of-work electricians,
to wire a record 27 Habitat homes. The annual
house building blitz for disadvantaged families
began in June and will continue through fall.
In all, more than 21 miles of wiring will be installed
in new homes in the
Jeff-Vander-Lou
neighborhood of North St. Louis.
“Given how difficult a year it has been for the
housing industry, we decided to boost our commitment
to Habitat for Humanity while providing paying
jobs for out-of-work union electricians,” said
Douglas R. Martin, executive vice
president of the
St. Louis Chapter,
National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA).
St. Louis Chapter NECA partners with the International
Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local
#1 to form the Electrical Connection. More than
50 electricians will be employed in the effort.
Most of the new homes are located on Sheridan
Avenue and Thomas Street and are part of Habitat’s
first-ever
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
(LEED)-certified project. The project
has three phases with 10 houses in the first phase,
nine in the second, and eight in the third.
“This is the fifth consecutive year we’ve partnered
with Habitat,” said
Steve Schoemehl,
IBEW Local #1 business manager. “And this year
not only does it receive the benefit of IBEW Local
#1 quality and safe installations, but families
of union electricians can continue to put food
on the table.”
Since 2004, the Electrical Connection has donated
more than $500,000 to wire more than 140 Habitat
homes.
Participating union electrical contractors include:
Dickherber
Electric, Inc.,
J.
Bathe Electric Co., M.R. Bathe Electric, Superb
Electric, L.C.,
Schaeffer
Electric Co., Inc. and
Wentzel
Electric.
The Electrical Connection has also donated services
to Rebuilding Together to improve homes for low-income,
elderly persons in the area, and for 12 years
it has donated skills and material in support
of St. Louis City’s “
National
Night Out” anti-crime program.
# # #
Editor’s Note:
The Electrical Connection makes
its offices at 5735 Elizabeth in South St. Louis,
Mo. (63110).
Dickherber Electrical, Inc.
is located at 1708 S. 5th Street in St. Charles,
Mo. (63303).
J. Bathe Electric Co. is located at
71 Triad South Drive in St. Charles, Mo. (63304).
M.R. Bathe Electric is located
at 1023 Cool Springs Industrial Drive in O’Fallon,
Mo. (63366).
Superb Electric, L.C. is located
at 415 Riverview Lane in St. Charles, Mo. (63301).
Schaeffer Electric Co., Inc.
is located at 4667 Green Park Road in Green
Park, Mo. (63123).
Wentzel Electric is located
at 5645 Carlton Drive in High Ridge, Mo. (63049).
# # #
Chris Brewer, 38, of Barnhart, Mo.
and a Superb Electric, L.C. team member, installs
a junction box as part of the Electrical
Connection’s $190,000 donation in services
and materials to wire a record 27 homes for
Habitat for Humanity St. Louis.
