In a victory for merit shop construction and green building, the California Apprenticeship Council July 29 voted 12-5 to confirm state approval of California’s first photovoltaic installer apprenticeship program. The program is operated by a member of the ABC Golden Gate Chapter.
Jose Radzinsky, founder of Renewable Power Solutions, Inc., came to America in 1981 from Uruguay and began his solar panel installation business, in 1998, after having installed the panels on his own rural home. By 2006, his business had grown to 25 employees. One of the problems Radzinsky encountered as his business grew was finding qualified apprentices to take on. Since there was no state-approved photovoltaic installer apprenticeship program, Radzinsky found he needed apprentices for electrical, roofing, plumbing, etc., until he had enough skill sets to do the work that one apprentice trained in photovoltaic installation could perform.
In response to the problem, in late 2008, Radzinsky set out to create an apprenticeship program that included a two-year program with classroom instruction and on-the-job training. In March 2009, the California Division of Apprenticeship Standards (CDAS) approved his program.
Not long after that, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) challenged the CDAS decision under a section of California law that allows unions to object to an apprenticeship program if they can show that a sufficient number of apprentices are already being trained under union programs. The law, which was derecognized by the Department of Labor Office of Apprenticeship Training, Employment and Labor Services in 2002 but is still on California books, severely limits competition against union apprenticeship programs and often prevents merit shop contractors from using nonunion apprentices.
Further confusing the situation, after IBEW claimed they were already providing this training, representatives from the carpenters, laborers, iron workers, roofers, sheet metal workers and cement masons unions, among others, also began claiming that their trades were involved in photovoltaic panel installation and that the training should fall under their jurisdiction, proving Radzinksy’s point that there wasn’t already a comprehensive training program in place.
On July 29, almost two years after Radzinsky began his journey to certify his apprenticeship program, the California Apprenticeship Council voted for a merit shop construction victory by rejecting the unions’ arguments and approving Radzinsky’s program.
“Our task is not over,” said Radzinsky. “I intend to talk to and encourage others to apply for their own programs. It’s important to have structured training for installers to follow so they can better themselves and get a certification that will allow them to value their work regardless of who they work for in this great industry.”
For more information, contact Jose Radzinsky, 408-998-7400 or
info@rps-Solar.com.