Tonight, Governor Gavin Newsom issued a statewide order for all residents to ‘stay at home’ amid the coronavirus / COVID-19 outbreak. "Everyone is required to stay home except to get food, care for a relative or friend, get necessary health care, or go to an essential job. If you go out, keep at least 6 feet of distance." Further, "The California State Public Health Officer and Director of the California Department of Public Health is ordering all individuals living in the State of California to stay home or at their place of residence except as needed to maintain continuity of operation of the federal critical infrastructure sectors."
This is the list of federal critical infrastructure sectors that is referred to in the governor’s order: https://www.cisa.gov/critical-infrastructure-sectors.
This last provision - "except as needed to maintain continuity of operation of the federal critical infrastructure sectors" - is of particular interest to IBEW 477 as much, if not most of our work, fits into one of these critical infrastructure sectors, including, but not limited to, Energy, Commercial Facilities, Communications, Transportation Systems, Information Technology, etc.
Therefore, until your contractor notifies you that they are shutting a job site down, please report to work and practice social distancing and hand-washing. If your job site is shut down, please contact a Business Rep or Agent at the Hall (909-890-0607) so that we can continue to monitor the situation. Also, the International Office of IBEW recently signed an agreement ensuring that no adverse actions would be take against members that feel unsafe and do not wish to go to a job site - their request for unemployment will be honored.
We will continue to monitor this situation – for more information on the Governor’s order, please go to: https://covid19.ca.gov/
IBEW 477 is working around the clock to serve our members during these difficult and tumultuous times. We have reached out to our contractors and shared the North America’s Building Trades Unions specific advice for construction industry employers to protect IBEW members and other construction professionals from spreading the virus that causes COVID-19
UPDATE:
Secretary of Labor Julie Su has clarified the definition of exceptions to the Stay at Home Order to include construction:
"The California State Public Health Officer and Director of the California Department of Public Health is ordering all individuals living in the State of California to stay home or at their place of residence, except as needed to maintain continuity of operation of the federal critical infrastructure sectors, critical government services, schools, childcare, and construction, including housing construction."
Fraternally,
Jason Eshelman
Business Manager / Financial Secretary