"I was working for a nonunion residential contractor making far less than what I was worth before I made the decision to join the IBEW. A good friend of mine who I had worked with left to join the union, and he told me it was the best thing he'd ever done. I trusted him, so I turned in my 2-week notice.

It was the best decision I've ever made.

There was work when I joined, so the process was fairly easy. Within days, I was working my first call at a solar field, and I had no idea how much my life was going to change.

Working in the private sector, I had no health care benefits, no retirement. My wife owns her own business, so we were paying out-of-pocket for medical. Just the health care alone would have made it worth it, but the benefits of joining the IBEW were so much more. More than the money itself, being paid what I was worth was such a breath of fresh air. And the retirement — knowing that we have that security — is the icing on the cake.

When I was working nonunion, I remember thinking I was doing OK. But it became clear to me what I was missing one night when my wife and I bought tickets to a concert. We were sitting in the nosebleed seats watching the band, and I looked down at the people close to the stage. I remember thinking, 'I want that. I work hard, I deserve a shot at front-row seats.'

The IBEW has given me that opportunity to be a front-row person. With the union, I'm valued as a worker, and my employers have recognized that and given me opportunities I'd never have gotten before. I've never felt more comfortable financially or confident that I'll be able to retire when the time comes.

I appreciate being a union brother. I love what I do. And I love my Local 340!"