Veteran SCE 'Groundman' Proves Women Are Up to the Task

By Casey Wian, Energized by Edison Writer

Twenty-five years ago, Belinda Vasquez was a single parent attending Mt. San Antonio College, facing an uncertain financial future. She learned that Southern California Edison was recruiting women to work as entry-level meter readers, so she applied, got the job and left school.

“For me, it was a good step to be able to be financially stable for myself and my kids,” Vasquez said. “And I love being outdoors, dealing with all the elements.”

Now, her four children range from ages 20 to 33, and Vasquez’s career has also grown. For the past 20 years, she has worked as an SCE groundman, one of the few women in the industry to hold the demanding job.

She operates two puller machines and a dolly that helps route underground electrical cables.

“In the beginning, it’s difficult to learn the equipment, but it just becomes natural after a while,” Vasquez said. “I will probably spend the rest of my career here because I love it too much. We get to travel; we get to see things nobody else really sees throughout Southern California Edison’s territory.”

During a break from a residential development job in Loma Linda, where Vasquez alternated between operating machinery and physically pulling heavy cable, Energized asked if it has been challenging being a woman in a field heavily dominated by men.

“Not at all, because I grew up as a tomboy with my dad, so this is normal for me,” she said. “I helped him with mechanical work on his car, drywall, woodwork, plumbing. I did a little bit of everything.”

Lineman Frank Luna Jr. has been Vasquez’s acting supervisor for more than a year.

“This is a very labor-intensive job, and she can hold her own. She is determined. She has insight and she has more experience on this crew than I do,” Luna said.

“I have been treated very well with a lot of respect from my peers,” Vasquez said. “Here and there, you have a little bump in the road, but nothing too drastic.”

Any resistance to her presence at job sites comes not from her SCE colleagues but occasionally from outside contractors.

“When they see her in action, they turn around and say they’re impressed,” Luna said.

Vasquez plans to work another five years and hopes other women will consider stepping up and filling her boots. “That would be awesome. If you really want to do this, be outside and help with construction. I know some women get intimidated, but it doesn’t hurt to try and make an effort. I encourage women to apply.