Meet James Ingle
I came to Gainesville in the 90s as a teenager, went to work as an electrician’s helper, and was lucky enough to be accepted into a local union electrical apprenticeship program. It’s been over 20 years now and Gainesville has been very good to me. I have an amazing wife, I’m a journeyman electrician, and president of my union.
But while I’ve been fortunate not everyone in our community has been so lucky. Gainesville is a great place to live, but for far too many of us it’s a hard place to earn a living. I’ve seen how decisions made by our local government can affect workers, for better or worse.
We need a voice on the commission to speak up for working class families and I have the background and experience to be that voice.
As a journeyman electrician:
- I have had to both work with and lead diverse crews of people, adapt to changes, and overcome challenges.
As president of my union I have:
- Experience negotiating contracts covering over 500 electricians in the area.
- Sat as a trustee directing a multimillion-dollar pension fund
- Traveled with union members to Tallahassee to teach them how our state government works and stand up for workers’ rights.
As an activist in the community, I have worked with allies to pass important ordinances like:
- Anti-wage theft ordinance that has put tens of thousands of dollars back in to the pockets of workers who weren’t paid what they were owed
- Living wage ordinance that moves the city and county towards paying a living wage
- Apprenticeship ordinance that ensures public works jobs will provide opportunities for apprenticeships
As a member of the community:
- Sat on the Alachua County Charter Review Commission
- Sit on our local CareerSource Board
- Sit on the Alachua County Plan Board
Questions? Feedback. Let me know. Reach out with the contact form below and someone from the campaign will reply soon.
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