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IBEW-Bechtel Agreement Powers Mississippi's Katrina Rebuilding

November 7, 2005

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, U.S. citizens have seen harsh images of storm victims living in the squalor of tents and shelters, where privacy and modern conveniences are lacking.

Today, thousands of Mississippi families are taking small but decisive steps to recover their former lives by moving into temporary trailers, provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).   Those trailers are being provided with electrical power by the labor and dedication of IBEW members from around the nation.

A new agreement between Bechtel Inc. and IBEW covering FEMA projects in three Mississippi counties provides a framework for rebuilding projects to proceed with speed and reduced conflict, paying paramount attention to the needs of victims.

The agreement covers three phases of FEMA's contract with Bechtel. The assessment of damages, the set-up and powering of mobile homes and services and repairs to existing homes of residents are all covered by the understanding.

By November 1, Gulfport, Mississippi, Local 903 had dispatched 70 wiremen to Bechtel projects in Hancock, Harrison and Jackson counties and put out a call for 50 more.   The work force is split between local residents and travelers.

Ricky Boyet, an IBEW general foreman, expects the number of wiremen to rise as a frustratingly slow trickle of equipment and supplies picks up.   "This is a big operation," says Boyet, "but all the trades are working real well together, trying to help people get out of the tents into better accommodations."   Service work to homeowners includes everything from repairing appliances to re-wiring.

Rusty Dean, IBEW foreman in Jackson County, praises the work of crews who accompany new residents on inspection tours of the temporary housing and instruct them on the use of equipment and appliances.

The Bechtel-IBEW agreement provides for wiremen to work seven 12-hour days a week at local prevailing wages, plus a $91 per day subsistence allowance.   The understanding is an addendum to the IBEW National Maintenance Agreement, with the exception of overtime pay (prior to 40 hours worked) and double-time, which are both barred by FEMA.

Mark Ayers, Director, IBEW Construction Department, says: "I toured Mississippi with President Hill.   The members we spoke to on FEMA projects were on a humanitarian mission.   They traveled from areas where IBEW has high market share and more desirable working conditions because they care about others."  

In late October, Bechtel management called Ayers to compliment the IBEW on the "great attitude that members have exhibited under very adverse conditions."

"Our efforts in Mississippi are just a start," says Ayers, pointing to FEMA's plans to rebuild the area most overwhelmed by Katrina, New Orleans, Louisiana's Ninth Ward.

The Final Agreement on Disaster Relief Emergency Response with general contractor, Fluor Inc. will cover work in Louisiana and Texas.