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Erie board weighs IBEW credentials, tables upgrade request and approves applicant renewals
Summary
The City of Erie Trades Licensing Board tabled an upgrade request pending verification of hours from the IBEW, discussed when out-of-jurisdiction journeyman credentials are accepted, and approved several licensing applications pending fee payments.
The City of Erie Trades Licensing Board tabled one request to upgrade an apprentice to a city journeyman license until the board receives documented hours from the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), and approved several other applications after verifying verifiers and fee status.
Board staff reported that John Kerr obtained an apprentice card with the City of Erie in January 2023, entered the IBEW apprenticeship in July 2023 and was recently classified by the union as a fourth-year apprentice and then a journeyman under IBEW procedures. Christie, the licensing officer, said the IBEW offered to provide hours and documentation but the board lacks evidence the applicant had the required four years of City of Erie-registered apprentice time under a local master electrician. "We need more information from the IBEW," the board decided and voted to table the item.
Board members reviewed the ordinance requirement that a City of Erie journeyman candidate must generally hold four years of registered apprenticeship time in the city or hold an equivalent journeyman license from a competent jurisdiction. Several members said past practice has been to recognize IBEW or NEC certifications when those credentials are demonstrably equivalent to the city standard. One member summarized the ordinance interpretation: if an applicant already holds a journeyman license from a competent jurisdiction whose standards the board determines equivalent, the board can waive some local requirements.
The panel approved multiple applications during the meeting. The board granted approval to Joshua Wilkinson after verifying his affidavits and notarized verifier pages. Another applicant who had worked out of jurisdiction was approved for a City of Erie journeyman registration for 2025 contingent on payment of the 2025 registration fee (discussed as $200). The board also approved an application from a candidate with a long, month-by-month verifier record (documented hours stretching back to 2013) after reviewing the verifiers and supporting paperwork.
Members debated whether applicants who never registered as city apprentices should be charged back apprentice registration fees. Some recalled that when applicants arrive with full union credentials and verifiable hours, the city historically has not charged back apprentice fees in similar cases; others argued for charging back dues for consistency. The board left several cases to staff to resolve with documentation from employers or the union and to return items to the board if more information was required.
The board's decisions will affect electricians and electrical contractors seeking to bring outside journeymen into Erie without repeating local apprenticeship registration. The board asked licensing staff to request verifiable hour logs from the IBEW for the tabled applicant and to confirm fee payments before issuing city credentials.
