Solar developer questions motives behind IBEW mailings

Dear Editor:

In recent weeks the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers union Local 103 has sent several misleading and factually incorrect brochures to the citizens of Canton purporting to contain “facts” about the Canton Landfill Solar Project. After you read the rest of this letter, I hope you will question the motivation of the electrical workers’ union.

The first brochure that the electrical workers sent questioned the safety of the installation of solar panels on landfills. We found this brochure to be particularly interesting as the IBEW business agent, Sean Callaghan, met with the construction project manager at the landfill on December 19, 2011. Mr. Callaghan expressed a sincere desire to have IBEW members employed at the project. The project manager informed Mr. Callaghan that the contractor, Gemma Renewable Power, was a “merit shop” and asked him to provide a list of union electrical contractors that the project bid documents could be sent to.

Mr. Callaghan emailed the project manager on January 11, 2012, and instructed the project manager to send the bid documents to three specific union contractors. In addition to those three union contractors, the project manager had been contacted by two additional union electrical contractors. A total of five union electrical contractors received the bid documents as well as two non-union electrical contractors.

The bid documents stated that a response was due on January 25, 2012. The three union companies that were recommended by the IBEW business agent did not even submit a bid. In fact, only one of the union contractors called the project manager to inform him that they would not be submitting a bid.

The two remaining union electrical contractors submitted bids that were in excess of three times the total budget for the work indicated in the bid documents. Consequently, they were not selected to perform the electrical work. The project manager selected the bid submitted by a non-union, Massachusetts-based electrical contractor as it was the lowest qualified bid and within the project budget. That non-union electrical contractor was hired to complete the work.

Now you be the judge as to why IBEW Local 103 has decided to spend its members’ dues to produce and mail brochures containing misleading and factually untrue statements against a solar project that they expressed a sincere desire to work on. In addition, the three union contractors recommended by the IBEW business agent did not even submit a bid, and the remaining two union companies submitted bids that were three times greater than the total budget.

The Canton Landfill Solar Project is a safe and successful solar development that will provide substantial revenue to the town of Canton, which will benefit all of its taxpayers. The Canton Landfill Solar Project is moving along on time and within budget, and we look forward to being a good neighbor here in Canton.

Sincerely,

Southern Sky Renewable Energy, LLC

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