“A” Construction Journeyman William Hofving was appointed a Business Representative at the November 9, 2006, General Membership meeting.
Brother Hofving was initiated into Local 3, IBEW on August 15, 1991. A first generation Local 3 member, his father was a wire lather who was killed on the job during the construction of Co-Op City in The Bronx. Born in Manhattan on December 26, 1965, he attended grammar school and high school in The Bronx where his family had relocated.
He attended Marist College prior to being accepted into the “A” Construction Apprentice Training Program in 1991. He served his apprenticeship and became an “A” journeyman in March 1998. He worked for various electrical contractors including DAK Electric, Garafalo Electric, and Volpe Electric, and on numerous jobs including Sak’s 5th Avenue, the renovation of the Ed Sullivan Theater, Penn Station and the SONY Imax on 68th Street and Broadway.
In 2000 Brother Hofving was appointed a shop steward by Business Manager Thomas Van Arsdale and worked under the supervision of Business Representative Mark Hansen in the Borough of Manhattan. In 2002 he was sent to work at Madison Square Garden as a journeyman where he served on the 2003 negotiation committee. “It was a difficult negotiation,” according to Hofving. “It lasted eight months and resulted in Local 3 protecting its jurisdiction at the Garden and a fair contract with raises over a four year period.” It was during these negotiations that his dedication, work ethic and ability to negotiate came to the attention of then Assistant Business Manager Christopher Erikson.
In April 2004 he was appointed shop steward at the Garden by Assistant Business Manager Christopher Erikson. In July 2004 he, along with shop steward Walter Cannon, was instrumental in the smooth construction and completion for the Republican National Convention that employed in excess of 200 electricians. In addition to the RNC, Brother Hofving was a foreman at the Garden for many special events including the Grammy Awards.
While as a Business Representative Brother Hofving’s assignments include Madison Square Garden (Utility Workers & Electricians), Barclay’s Arena, Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, Show Work at the Armories in NYC, New York Times, New York Post, NY Daily News, Tech Division which includes 12 independent contracts, and Building Trades Maintenance agreements. He is also a Trustee for 7 ERISA Benefits Plans. Elected Vice President of the Allied Printing Trades of New York State in 2009, he also sits as a delegate to the New York City Allied Printing Trades. He was honored at the Lewis H. Latimer Progressive Association as Man of the Year in 2013. Appointed advisor to the Catholic Council of Electrical Workers in October 2013.
Brother Hofving holds an associate degree in labor studies from Empire State College, SUNY. Also holds a certificate from The Cornell University ILR Program. An avid sportsman, he has played softball in the Interboro Softball League for over 17 years. He is a member of the Colony Club and an active fundraiser for the SIDS Foundation and St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital.
