Lisa Hofmann lives in Long Island, New York and is a member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 25. She has worked as an union electrician for 26 years. She is also the worksite steward, treasurer, and former president of the Woman’s Committee in her Local, and former vice president of the Electrical Minority Caucus.
Can you tell me about the clean energy projects that you’ve worked on?
I’ve done many solar farms. The biggest clean energy job that I’ve been on is part of the [offshore] wind farm project, Sunrise Wind. I’m at the converter station. It’s where the DC power and the AC power go in and out, kind of like a substation. By the time it’s done, it’ll be pushing out enough electricity for 600,000 homes on Long Island, which is pretty neat. We’re at the end of the job, and I’ve been there since it was practically all dirt.
You want to make sure that the next generation is safe from harm, and you want to make sure that you leave a clean earth when you leave. I have grandchildren, so I want to make sure that I, as an individual person, can do the right thing with how I deal with all the pollution and climate change. It’s a good feeling at the end of every day knowing that I did something positive at work.
What do you want other working people in New York to know about the importance of clean energy, like offshore wind?
[Clean energy] reduces greenhouse gas emissions, conserves resources, promotes sustainability, and protects biodiversity. As for personal and professional benefits? It’s a fulfilling career, that’s for sure. It’s very innovative and there’s a lot of problem solving. There’s a ton of personal growth and job security. The [offshore wind] job that I’m on is great, because the economy’s also doing very well. At one time, we had over 120 tradespeople on the job. We got gas, we used the delis, we sat at the restaurants. We definitely contributed a lot of money into the local economy. Hopefully, with clean energy, the prices will come down and we’re not paying so much money on electric bills. Hopefully, it’ll help us a bit in the pocket.
How did you become a union member?
I was a single mom working a few different jobs, and one of my jobs was working at a florist. One Mothers’ Day, this gentleman came in asking for a bouquet of flowers. I made it for him and when he went to pay, I noticed his credit card said “IBEW Local 25.” I asked him, “What’s this?” He told me he was an electrician and that I should apply. A couple of days later, I went to the union hall and applied. I took my aptitude test, they interviewed me, and I started work a couple of weeks later.
Why is being a union member important to you?
One—the health benefits. Two—we get a decent salary. Three—our retirement. It’s the whole package. I don’t know where I would be without Local 25 and being in the union. [Becoming a union member] is definitely the best decision I ever made. I have two boys, 31 and 30, and they didn’t want to become electricians, but they’re still union men. They’re also reaping the rewards of being in a union. I’m so proud of them. I’m so proud that my children turned out so well, because all they wanna do is just serve their communities. We all have different careers, but we’re all serving our communities in some way. It’s a nice feeling.
What role do union workers play in addressing the climate crisis?
We have 2,000 members. A lot of people haven’t been on solar farm or wind turbine jobs. But everybody seems excited and these jobs get people talking. They’re starting to teach an apprenticeship about clean energy. The more people that are working on jobs such as the converter station for the wind farm, the more others wanna get involved, because they feel like they’re missing out on something big and interesting. For me, I only have a few years left until I retire, and this was my shot at a really big clean energy job.
What advice do you have for people who are curious about a union career in the building trades?
Go for it. When I got in, I was 28 years old. I wished I’d got in sooner. Every day is different. You don’t know if you’re wiring something up or you’re pulling wire or you’re doing light fixtures. Every day it’s different. And it’s just very, very interesting, because you never get bored, because there’s just so many things an electrician does.
Back in the day, it was basically a father-son union. When I got in, I didn’t know anybody. I didn’t know anything. I felt so out of place, but I made friends, I learned, I went through the five-year apprenticeship. It’s very diversified now. Now, at union meetings, there’s men, there’s women, there’s all different shapes and sizes, races, and religions. It’s really nice to see.
Where do you hope to see the clean energy economy or sector in the future?
I hope one day that we stop buying our power from other countries and it stays in the United States. Not only that, but I hope we can also power up the small towns in parts of the United States that have never had electricity and give everybody power and Wi-Fi, you know, and live like a decent human being.
