Integrity Kokosing Pipeline Services, LLC, an Ohio-based contractor, is currently using only non-Local 798 members to perform the welding of natural gas pipelines for the Vectren Energy Delivery Corporation, a CenterPoint Energy company.  Please help us send a message to the Vectren Corporation, reminding them of the undeniable benefits of putting Local 798 Welders, Journeymen and Helpers on the job, as well as the tremendous risks associated with hiring workers outside this network.

Sign the petition below to tell Brad Ellsworth, President of Vectren South, that Ohio deserves pipelines built by Local 798’s highly-skilled workforce! We will submit this during the week of August 3. Don't wait to take action!

Dear President Ellsworth:  

I am writing to express disappointment and frustration over the fact that Integrity Kokosing Pipeline Services, LLC is currently using workers outside the Pipeliners Local 798 network to perform the welding of natural gas pipelines for Vectren Energy Delivery Corporation. It is dangerous to select any other workforce to perform this most safety-critical piece of pipeline construction when Local 798 professional craftsmen are ready and available to do what they do best. 

Local 798 members are highly-trained in all processes of pipe welding, and they enjoy access to a state-of-the art Training Center where their skills are constantly improved upon. This sort of commitment to training and education is simply unmatched, especially by a non-Local 798 workforce, which does not place the same level of emphasis on safety and quality.

In addition to pipeline training, environmental responsibility is also a critical consideration in the construction process of any Local 798 infrastructure project. When it comes to respecting the environment, Local 798 members are trained on how to perform tasks while also caring for the surrounding environment. For example, the workforce is often educated in the identification of different types of soil and the importance of keeping them separate during the construction and remediation processes. The environmental impact surrounding pipeline projects is extremely important to our members because it is literally in the backyards of their family and friends. Local 798 members treat the land as if it were their own during all aspects of the construction process, and welding is no different.

In summation, I believe you should encourage Integrity Kokosing and other contractors to hire Local 798 members, as this proud Local spends hundreds of hours each year training members in all aspects of pipeline construction and welding safety and is committed to ongoing apprenticeship and training programs, making them the most qualified, highly skilled and safest option for any proposed project.

I have deep concerns about the lack of pipeline training of the workforce selected by Integrity Kokosing, and I strongly encourage you to look to the dedicated and skilled network of Local 798 members who are ready and willing to work.

Signed,

American Energy Supporter