How Ronny Jungk Turned Local 100 Into a Powerhouse

In 1987, Ronny Jungk joined IBEW Local 100 in Fresno, California, as an apprentice. He worked his way up, eventually becoming the Business Manager in 2016, a position he holds today. IBEW State Association caught up with Jungk to discuss his career, membership growth, renewable energy projects, his pending retirement and more. 

Local 100 has seen membership double from about 700 to over 1400 since you’ve become Business Manager. What do you attribute that to? 

Ronny Jungk: Shortly after I became Business Manager, I signed a PLA for the Westlands Solar Park, with a 2.7-gigawatt buildout. It was going to be the world’s largest solar project. We’ve also done about 40 or 50 utility-scale solar jobs with anywhere from 20 to 500 megawatts.  

Between the solar projects and the PLA’s at the airport and community college, we brought in a lot of new members. We’ve got PLAs at the airport, State Center Community College, Fresno Unified School District, so we’re securing PLAs pretty much everywhere. That’s work we always did, but our work has been about solidifying it. 

Apart from clean energy, has the high-speed rail project brought Local 100 a lot of work? 

RJ: We’re expecting to have maybe 30 or 40 electrical workers on that project over the next few months, which is the most we’ve ever had. Of course we’re hoping for more work from the high-speed rail for our members. 

For other business managers reading this, what advice can you give about leveraging state and federal programs for renewable energy projects, or just general advice on how to secure those PLAs? 

RJ: Local 100 has been here for over a century, so we engage with our politicians and we have our allies. I sit on the Kings County Workforce Investment Board. If we’re doing projects out there with 200-250 electrical workers each, that’s huge. It’s money in people’s pockets, spent in local stores and gas stations, creating tax revenue. It’s a benefit for everybody. 

Do you have any concern about the shifting political landscape or even the economic one on such projects? 

RJ: Those are major concerns, but right now, we just keep going with what we’ve got. We probably have about two to four years of projects that are backed up. I don’t think any of them are going away unless there are material issues due to tariffs. But especially with our renewable projects, most of them are under the IRA (Inflation Reduction Act), and those jobs have a lot of American-made components. 

As you approach retirement, what are some of your proudest moments at Local 100? 

RJ: About 25 years ago, the local purchased a piece of property and we’ve been leasing it for the past 20 years. In September, we finished a brand new building that should be our home for another 100 years. We now have our permanent home and it should be able to handle the growth if we double the size of the membership. 

As an organizer, you sometimes have to deal with people’s negativity, but then you always have other people who thank you for improving their lives. They’re getting a great wage, building their pension, and getting healthcare. That always makes me feel good. 

What projects can you think of as a career highlight? 

RJ: Soon after becoming Business Manager, I started working with Golden State Clean Energy on the Westlands Solar Park. Signing that PLA felt pretty good because of all the people you’re going to put to work and all those apprenticeship opportunities. 

Also, when I started as Business Manager, our pension was 81% funded. Now, we’re projected to be 101% funded by July 1st. That’s huge to me, to ensure members have a secure pension after years of service. 

Finally, looking ahead, where would you like to see Local 100 in five years? 

RJ: If we could double the size of our apprenticeship, that would be fantastic.