Unions in tree work in the United States: what two unions say on their own pages
How the IBEW and the Machinists describe their members in line clearance and residential tree care, taken from the unions' own pages.
Checked against the sources at the bottom of this page on October 9, 2026. Rules, fees and pay change: the source has the last word.
This page reports what the official source says. It is not legal advice: ask the office named here.
The sources are union publications, so every statement below is the union's own description and not an independent count. They give no membership total for the trade. Pay for the trade is in pay by country, and utility work is in utility line clearance.
Line clearance in California: IBEW Local 1245
IBEW Local 1245 says on its line clearance page that it represents Line Clearance Tree Trimmers, and Vegetation Control Specialists, working for California tree trimming contractors. It names four utilities served by contractors that signed its agreements: Pacific Gas and Electric, the Sacramento Municipal Utility District, the Turlock Irrigation District and Silicon Valley Power in the City of Santa Clara.
The page says utilities move between line clearance contractors from time to time, and that the union's labor agreements carry terms keeping a trimmer's union seniority when changing contractors. It says line clearance members helped start a safety program run between peers, named Keep the Clearance, and that a line clearance tree trimmer sits on the local's Safety Committee. It also says the union has business representatives dedicated to line clearance tree trimmers and holds unit meetings for them at many places in California.
A second page from the same local describes the work as keeping trees and brush away from power lines to protect electric service and prevent wildfires. It says the working conditions can be difficult, and sometimes dangerous, and that the trimmers are working as a union to improve wages, benefits and living standards. It gives no wage figure.
Residential tree care in Virginia: the Machinists
The IAM published a news item on July 18, 2024. It says more than 30 arborists at a residential tree care company in Richmond, Virginia, voted to join IAM Local 10, and calls them the first unionized residential tree care company in the United States. The release says the workers acted after new owners cancelled a profit-sharing program without notice, and that 80 percent of the prospective bargaining unit signed authorization cards within two weeks. The release is written from the union's side.
Side by side
| Union | Who it says it represents | Where |
|---|---|---|
| IBEW Local 1245 | Line clearance tree trimmers and vegetation control specialists at contractors | California |
| IAM Local 10 | Arborists at one residential tree care company, more than 30 at the vote | Richmond, Virginia |