
The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local Union 332, located in the heart of Silicon Valley, is the largest IBEW Local in Northern California, with over 2,700 members. The local is known for its dynamic membership and its leadership in implementing the progressive technology that has shaped Silicon Valley. Electricians from the Local have been on the forefront of many of the Valley’s technological revolutions, including the semiconductor revolution, the biotech revolution, and the telecommunications revolution.
IBEW Local 332 members serve Santa Clara County and include three distinct areas of expertise. Inside Wiremen provide electrical services to Silicon Valley’s corporate, technology, semiconductor and biotech facilities. Residential Wiremen build out new home, condominium, and apartment developments constructed in the Valley. Members in the VDV (Voice/Data/Video) sector work in such areas as wireless, fiber optic, cell sites, network systems, Audio/Video systems, security systems, fire/life safety systems, and CATV.
Local 332’s history parallels the rise of Silicon Valley. Founded in 1912, Local 332 was well established when Hewlett-Packard and Varian Associates opened in 1938. Local 332 electricians built the electrical infrastructure for IBM when it opened its San Jose Research and Development Lab in 1952 (where the computer disc drive was invented). Other early high tech-firms in the Valley included Fairchild, Lockheed, General Electric and Admiral.
With the development of the microchip and the personal computer in the 1970s, Silicon Valley was officially born. Over the course of the following decades, Apple Computer, Intel, Advanced Micro Devices, National Semiconductor and many more companies grew to be international giants. The 21st century brought the maturity of the Internet, and the boom that brought Microsoft, Yahoo, Google and other Silicon Valley companies to the forefront of the industry.
Now, with the Green Energy revolution upon us, Silicon Valley is the epicenter of the next Silicon based industry. Santa Clara County is the home of the largest concentration of Photovoltaic companies and installations in the United States. IBEW Local 332 has been a part of most of the projects to date, and has hundreds of trained electricians ready to meet the challenges of the next emerging industry. At every step of the way, Local 332 members demonstrated the requisite expertise and experience to help pave the way for the Valley’s technological revolution.
IBEW Local Union 332 – We Have Silicon Valley Wired!