Jeff Farmer
Electrical Transit System Mechanic

I’m going on eight years as a Local 6 member and have worked at the Potrero Yard the whole time. My background is in automotive, with 12-plus years doing highly skilled work for Volvo. My dad was Local 6, too; he worked for PG&E for 35 years, so he was very excited when I joined the union and gave me some of his electrician tools. It was cool to keep that going.

It’s been fantastic to be with Local 6. It’s been great for the benefits and negotiations. The raises are coming all the time — you can’t beat that. I’ve been busy raising two young children, but as they grow up, I expect to have more time to be active in the union.

At the Potrero Yard, it’s bumper-to-bumper. One day we could be doing electrical work, and the next day we could be doing brakes. It keeps you on your toes. I really appreciate the staff and our boss, which goes a long way in terms of retention.

Nelson Doon
Electronic Maintenance Technician Assistant Supervisor

I was working in the private electronics industry, including at HP for 13 years, and things were winding down, so I was looking for other opportunities. I found out about the job at Muni and have been a Local 6 member for over 21 years.

I’m definitely glad that I became a union electrician. My life has changed because my pay increased dramatically when I joined a union shop. My quality of life and ability to provide for my family improved. My ability to do things outside of work and live in the city — those are things Local 6 has helped me with immensely.

Maintenance on the trolley buses has changed quite a bit over the years. This is the third-generation bus that I’ve worked with in my career, and new tools and new skills are needed.

There aren’t a lot of apprentices in these shops. It’s a lot of on-the-job training. The factory folks come to train briefly when the new fleet arrives, but there’s not a lot of carryover of knowledge between the generations of workers.

We need some apprentices in the shop, as well as journey-level classes, to make sure the fleet continues to be well-maintained in the future.

Juan Irizarry
Electrical Transit System Mechanic

I got into the trade in 1996. I had previously been union when I worked with UPS. The big advantage of being a Local 6 member is the collective bargaining. You have a group that’s bargaining for better conditions for the workers, and that’s always something I’ve been appreciative of, as it’s helped my career by providing me with better pay and better benefits.

I recently transferred to the Cable Car Barn in 2019 from the Light Rail Vehicle Center at Metro East. This is very mechanical work. The electrical aspect is just the 12V system that the battery runs on. There’s more troubleshooting with the LRVs. Our work here is really neat — it’s the only moving national monument that we have. It’s a big icon for San Francisco. There are a lot of people who care about it, and that makes the work very meaningful for me.

My whole tenure here, I’ve been very appreciative of what Local 6 has done in representing us, and in return I try to be a model member by excelling at my job to make the union look good. It’s not just about what the union does. It’s more of a collaborative effort between the member and the union.

Joseph Goncalves
Electrical Transit System Mechanic

I’m coming up on seven years with Local 6. I was an automotive mechanic since I was about 21 years old. I worked at private shops and then worked at a dealership for 14 years before I came to Muni.

Previously, I was in the machinists union while I was at the dealership, so I was already knowledgeable about unions. For me, coming over to Muni was a change of scenery. The auto industry was also changing a lot, and I was ready to get out. When I came across the opportunity to join IBEW 6 and get a job a Muni, I immediately applied and started my career here.

Being with the union has been really positive. Over the years, I’ve had a couple things that I’ve had to call our business rep, Osha, about — minor things like assistance with home loan documentation, for example — and she has always been quick to help me.

Going through the pandemic has been a struggle for us and for the world, but it’s good to be back in the grind again, and getting back to normalcy is helping a lot of people. It’s good to be back serving the public and keeping these historic cable cars maintained.

Pk Khotpanya
Electrical Transit System Mechanic

After losing a mechanic job in Sacramento, family and friends encouraged me to apply here, and I’ve been working for Muni for eight years and have been with the union for four years. Things just fell into place. I had never belonged to a union before, but now that I’m in, I’m happy. It’s clear that they have our back and do a lot for us. I realize the advantages now that I’ve had the experience.

We fix all the historic cars at the Cable Car Barn. I love the work because I’m into classic stuff. I have old-school cars myself. When I came here, I knew I was in the right place. The work here is very different and everyone is a beginner — whether you’re a 30-year mechanic or new to the trade. You have to have the right mindset and take the time to learn. I love my work here, but I think there needs to be more thought given to how seniority is established because it takes years to learn this unique job.

I would advise someone who wants to get into this line of work to join Local 6 because there’s a lot of safety aspects you have to learn, and the union provides that. Cable cars are low-voltage, but buses and LRVs are 600V, which is very dangerous. The union apprenticeship and journey-level classes provide that extra safety training, which helps so you won’t be caught off-guard. Working with regular cars is different from working with something that weighs over 10 tons.