Every year on July 10, National Lineworker Appreciation Day honors the hard work and dedication of lineworkers across the country. We recognize their commitment to keeping the lights on and the importance of safety in this demanding trade.
This day holds special meaning at Seattle City Light. We celebrate the achievements and work of our 184 lineworkers. We also welcome four new journey-level lineworkers to our team. New lineworkers play a vital role in keeping our communities powered and connected. Today, we recognize their hard work and dedication to becoming lineworkers.
An unexpected beginning
Scott Simpson, Ryan Sumpter, Azariah Primacio, and Brian Smoak recently completed a rigorous apprenticeship program that began in March 2020.
“When I started at City Light, I knew very little about electricity, except that it could hurt you,” Scott said. “The four-year apprenticeship blew my mind how I was able to learn so much about this trade.”
The group was hired as pre-apprentice lineworkers just as the pandemic brought everything to a pause. This included their apprenticeship, so they each took on temporary roles as material suppliers. While it wasn’t what they had planned, the shift offered new perspectives.
“It gave me the opportunity to learn more about this trade before I became an apprentice,” Scott shared. “It also gave me a year longer [to] bond with my classmates.”
What it takes to become a lineworker
Their apprenticeships resumed in February 2021, starting the four-year program. Becoming a journey-level lineworker at City Light requires more than 7,000 hours of hands-on training. They began with a six-month Pre-Apprentice Lineworker (PAL) program to learn the basics of the trade. Then, they spent three and a half years working as part of a crew on complex and challenging projects.
They also attended weekly evening classes to understand the theory behind their work. These classes are led by experienced mentors, like Lineworker Apprenticeship Craft Instructor Brandon Melland.
“Every lineman out there learned from someone,” Brandon said. “It’s our job to keep that chain unbroken. It’s how knowledge gets passed down, how the safety culture stays strong, and how the next generation learns what it really means to wear the tools.”
The final test
This spring, Scott, Ryan, Azariah, and Brian earned their journey-level status after passing the journeyman exam. The moment was a culmination of years of hard work. For Ryan, it was one of the most rewarding moments of the entire experience. “When [we] passed our journey worker test, all our hard work paid off,” he said.
And what stood out most to Brandon was how proud they were of each other. “It wasn’t just about passing the test,” he said. “They were genuinely proud of their classmates. That moment said a lot about what makes this trade special.”
Celebrating National Lineworker Appreciation Day
This physically and mentally demanding job consistently ranks among the most hazardous in the country. National Lineworker Appreciation Day commemorates Henry Miller, who worked as a lineman during the late 19th century, a time when the electrical industry was in its infancy and extremely dangerous. He tragically lost his life on July 10, 1896, after falling from a pole.
We are proud of our line crews who work around the clock maintaining, repairing, and upgrading thousands of miles of power lines to ensure reliable service to the more than 960,000 people we serve.
We also want to acknowledge the entire team who makes this work possible. From the high-voltage electrical workers and cable splicers to engineers, power dispatchers, and material suppliers ensuring every project runs smoothly, your hard work, often behind the scenes, keeps our communities powered.
To our new journey-level lineworkers, and every member of the team who helps keep the lights on, thank you!