Fired up by unsafe conditions on a school construction project in thinly-populated south Florida, over a dozen nonunion workers walked off the job and turned to IBEW's Florida Initiative for help.

"Nonunion workers going on strike is unheard of," said IBEW organizer Jon Dehmel of Tampa, Florida IBEW Local 915, praising the courage of the crew, who stayed off the job for three days.

Workers for Tampa-based Energy Electric have reported that scaffolding on the job was held together with tie wire.  Painters were using gas-powered sprayers without proper ventilation, spreading fumes.  Workers on the roof were throwing concrete blocks to the ground. Concrete was being ground without proper dust control.

Michael Salvi, an electrical foreman, turned to a journeyman on the job and suggested that the job stop until safety concerns were addressed. The journeyman, a former IBEW member, said that he was willing to walk off the job only if a call was made to the union.  He had Dehmel's business card in his wallet, called him, placed another call to Local 915's hall, and then joined his co-workers, walking off the job.

Dehmel contacted representatives of the Florida Initiative.  Lead organizers Duane Moore and Jeff Rose immediately showed up on the job site, providing a "lot of back up and strength," said Dehmel.  TV Channel 9 arrived to cover the story.

Florida Initiative Coordinator Jim Rudicil praised  Dehmel  for keeping the workers together and informing them of their rights. With low wages and the strain of knowing their next check would be even slimmer, a plan was put together to get workers back on the job or on another project.  Several were offered jobs with union employers until the strike could be resolved.

At the end of the second day of the strike, Local 915's business manager, Bill Dever, requested that newly-appointed Florida Initiative Lead Organizer Jeff Henderson open up a dialogue with Energy Electric's owner, Charles R. Sanford.

Into the third day of the strike, Rudicil and Fifth District Organizing Coordinator Harold Higginbothom arrived on the job site with donuts and coffee, recognizing the workers' courage and unity. They discussed the issues that led to the strike to better understand the problems facing electricians in many of the rural locales of Florida. The crew complained about their pay rates, ranging from $8.00 to $15.00 per hour.  None have health insurance, pensions, holidays or vacations.

After meeting with the company, Henderson secured a commitment by Sanford to address the workers' safety complaints and put them back to work, without penalties. Sanford agreed to open discussion with Dever on how the IBEW Small Works Agreement could benefit the firm and its work force.

Henderson and Local 915 President, Randall King, held a meeting with employees at the end of the third day to present the settlement. They explained that the strike and agreement represented the first step in bringing union representation to electrical workers in the region.  The IBEW, said King, was there for them and, only by working together, could conditions be improved for workers.

Foreman Salvia, unprotected by the National Labor Relations Act, was discharged.  "He deserves a lot of credit for standing up for what was right," said Dehmel.  The local union put Salvia back to work with a signatory employer.  The local also offered membership to Energy Electric workers for those willing to travel to union jobs.

Dehmel sees the strike as an indication of the potential for organizing in some of Florida's thinly populated areas. Most of the strikers are journeymen in their mid-forties; yet they are making no more that $15 per hour. Even though many were offered union jobs, they are reluctant to travel very far due to the age of their vehicles, yet another legacy of low wages.