Nicholas Sanford

I joined the Electrical Workers Union in 2020 to gain skills and experience that would take my career to the next level. While in the Union my work has been primarily construction based, including new construction, building renovations and large scale solar arrays. In 2021 I got the opportunity to be the foreman for a $1.1 million dollar electrical renovation for the Goessman Lab at Umass Amherst. That job was a great career experience as it included everything from power distribution, key card access, fire alarm, and the HVAC power system. The Goessman lab project lasted a little over a year from demolition of the old to the completion of the new. I had a team of 5-8 electricians working for me throughout the project.

I started back at I.T.S as the field service electrician in the General Electrical Department where I would respond to customer calls as well as small projects. Within just a few months I was moved to the Automation and Control department because of my strong skills in electrical control wiring and ability to complete projects independently. During my time in the automation and control department it was not uncommon for me to juggle simultaneous jobs at different locations, and would routinely meet with customers and coordinate their needs. A few examples of my more notable jobs while in Automation and Control would be installing new ammonia controls for an industrial freezer addition, installing 38 new loading dock door, leveler, trailer lock and associated controls for a large food distribution warehouse, retrofitting control systems for municipal water pumping stations, machine installation, troubleshooting and service for industrial machinery and industrial processes.

At Associated Electro Mechanics I worked as the field service electrician, mainly in the areas of motor and VFD installation/ programming, inspection and troubleshooting. I attended a week long "Hands On Troubleshooting" class at Yaskawa factory which centered around the installation, troubleshooting, programming, maintenance, and uses for Yaskawa Variable Frequency Drives. While at A.E.M I also spent time in the motor repair shop and have acquired skills in the mechanical disassembly, inspection, repair, and reassembly of A/C and D/C motors.

My Primary focus at Quabbin Wire & Cable was electrical maintenance, which involved all aspects of machine moving, installation, troubleshooting and repair as well as electrical upgrades to the machines, building and manufacturing space. My responsibilities included maintaining stock of all electrical supplies and most maintenance supplies, keeping a tidy and organized work space. Daily duties included electro/mechanical and control troubleshooting and repair of the machinery, involving breakdowns, preventative maintenance and all electrical installations and repairs needed. Miscellaneous mechanical skills were also required which included basic welding and fabrication, millwright mechanical, basic machining, and mechanical assembly to satisfy the needs of production.

Primary duties included electrical maintenance of parking lot lighting systems, illuminated signs, landscape lighting, commercial office space wiring

While at I.T.S during this time period I worked in a wide array of environments, including but not limited to industrial manufacturing facilities, historical renovations, distribution warehouses, offices and municipal water districts and pumping stations. Most of my time at I.T.S was spent in the industrial setting where I worked as subcontracted supplementary electrical maintenance support for factory machinery, electrical machine installation and larger projects including entire facility lighting retrofits, interstate machinery moves, and power distribution systems. I experienced working as part of a team responsible for the completion of large projects. I completed my apprenticeship and acquired my electrical license during this time in 2009.