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For
release: September 8, 2008
For those persons who did not or
could not attend all the meetings over the past four years
of the Maryland Electrical Legislative Group (M.E.L.G.), the
following information should prove helpful.
Representatives of large and
small electrical contractors, general construction
contractors, organized and independent apprenticeship
training program directors, code enforcement agencies,
administrative licensing regulators, members of electrical
contractors associations, and electrical affiliates and
educators were and still are concerned about the dwindling
shortage of competent electrical tradesmen.
A great number of experienced
electrical workers have retired and there will be several
others who will soon be leaving the work force. The lack of
electrical knowledge and taking pride in workmanship by some
workers presently employed were other concerns of M.E.L.G.
The apparent disinterest shown by most young people to join
a hands-on labor trade or industry is apparent when they are
being recruited because they are presently being directed
toward college degrees and less labor-intensive work by
school counselors.
To entice future workers, to
protect and better serve the general public, and to provide
informed and educated technicians for an ever changing
complex trade without causing undue expenses to workers,
contractors, or the public has also been M.E.L.G.’s goal.
Other intents are to professionalize, educate, and reward
hard work which hopefully will provide an incentive so that
young people will want to join an industry that has always
provided the best of living standards and has become the
driving influence behind all construction projects.
Where would the modern world be without electricity?
In my opinion, helping to
recruit future workers, setting statewide uniform standards,
increasing workers’ incentives to earn more money, and
educating a work force of technicians who will be up to date
on the latest techniques and codes while doing it at a
minimum cost for joining the electrical trade seems like the
best approach.
Although each of the above
groups were intent on protecting their individual interests,
they accepted the challenge to upgrade and professionalize
our industry in order to attract future electrical workers
and provide a skilled work force. Significant changes to
the law were proposed, lengthy debates ensued, and many and
various opinions were offered. After a great deal of
compromise, and although there was not 100% agreement, the
majority of the group voted to submit the following items
for change so that a legislative bill could be drafted and
introduced for the 2009 legislative session
The revised bill will:
-
Change subtitles of the
Maryland electrical law from “Master Electricians” to
“Licensed Electricians” and require a performance
license on a statewide basis for all electricians’
categories as follows: assistants, apprentices,
journeypersons, and masters. There are already 4,616
licensed masters, so this part should not be a hardship,
and there are provisions to grandfather the unlicensed
masters, as well as apprentices and journeypersons.
-
Create a statewide
journeyperson license; this would supersede all
local regulations except those five existing counties of
Calvert, Charles, Harford, Montgomery, and Prince
Georges. They will be able to continue to issue
journeyperson licenses that will have the same authority
of a statewide license.
-
Create a statewide
apprentice license; this would supersede all
local regulations.
-
Create a statewide
electrician assistant license; this would supersede
all local regulations.
-
Require all masters
performing electrical services for compensation to hold
an active statewide electrician
license and to hire only licensed persons. Also, to
require all licensed persons to keep an updated license
card on their person for identification purposes.
-
Institute a statewide
continuing education requirement for active
masters and journeypersons (10 clock hours for a 2-year
license). This statewide continuing education
certification would supersede any
local regulations.
-
Give the State Electrical
Board the authority to impose a $1,000.00 fine to any
unlicensed person performing electrical services if
local jurisdictions do not already have that authority.
-
Change the budget
arrangement of the Department of Labor, Licensing, and
Regulation (D.L.L.R.) so the electrical board members
will finally be paid an annual salary as the original
law always intended.
-
Charge $30.00 for
electrician assistants, $10.00 for apprentices’ license
issuance (they already pay a fee to apprenticeship
programs), and $40.00 for journeypersons, which should
allow these tradesmen to pay their own way at a
reasonable fee. Charge $50.00 for active master
licenses and $40.00 for inactive masters, as they will
not be required to carry insurance coverage.
A preliminary fiscal impact done
reveals that enough revenue would be generated to handle
these proposals, enable the D.L.L.R. to pay additional
clerks, and to contract with regional investigators (paid
for their mileage and time) to enforce any violations when
reported by the local jurisdictions. By using figures from
the State Board of Plumbing and HVACR, we felt that, if
passed, there would be statewide electrician licenses issued
as follows, approximately:
6,000 - Master Electricians at
$50.00 = $300,000.00
3,000 - Journeyperson Electricians at $40.00
= $120,000.00
2,680 - Apprentice Electricians at $10.00
= $ 26,800.00
4,000 - Electrician Assistants at
$30.00 = $120,000.00
OR, $566,800.00 generated on a 2-year renewal basis
NOTE: The statewide fees
for electrician assistants, apprentices, and journeypersons
will cover them statewide. They will not be required to pay
local licensing fees, except for those five counties who can
still license journeypersons, but that local fee and license
will cover them statewide.
These reasonable statewide fees
should assure that the contractor or worker is not gouged.
The State D.L.L.R. should not be overburdened with too much
of a workload as the concept is similar in nature to what is
already being done for plumbers and heating and ventilating
personnel.
A review of all changes, I
think, would have a positive effect as it would allow the
control and regulation of the electrical industry to remain
at the local jurisdictional level where the public’s best
interest is served. Because the education, certification,
and implementation would be on a state level, it should not
create financial problems or additional workloads on the
local level. By establishing an incentive system for
advancement, having minimal fees to pay, and expecting
better pay scales should entice more young people to join
our great industry, which would help alleviate future labor
shortages. By updating and educating those responsible for
performing electrical services, it should professionalize
the trade, enhance our industry, and better protect the
public.
We will let you know the number
of the bill when it is introduced so that you can support
it.
From: Gil
Thompson
Facilitator for parties
interested in the activities of the
Maryland Electrical Legislative
Group (M.E.L.G.)
(Please forward any comments to
Milford Badders at:
mlbadders@harfordcountymd.gov. |
