Local Contractor Not Leaving Iraq

EIU Has 50 Employees In Iraq Building Power Plant

POSTED: 6:44 p.m. PDT April 13, 2004
UPDATED: 7:11 p.m. PDT April 13, 2004

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. -- A Bakersfield electrical contractor has 50 employees working in Iraq, KERO reported. Despite the recent rash of kidnappings, all of the workers plan on staying in Iraq.

While at least six contractors from Halliburton are feared kidnapped or possibly dead, none of the employees stationed in Iraq from locally-owned Electrical and Instrumentation Unlimited of California have been harmed.

Chris Minor, the president of Bakersfield's EIU, has reason to be nervous. Fifty of his men, about a third from central and southern California, are building a power plant in the southern Iraqi town of Basra.

"So far, we have gotten lucky. Everybody's safe," Minor said.

Minor said his workers, who make about $200,000 a year, understand the risk. However, he said they are protected by armed security guards, who travel with them everywhere they go.

Minor has been to Iraq four times since the project began last September. He said he speaks with the workers in Iraq several times a day.

"We haven't had anybody say, 'I'm scared and I want to get out of here,'" Minor said.

Despite the violence, Minor said his company is not pulling out once their job is over. In fact, they are planning more projects.

Minor said most of his workers are from the gulf region of Texas and Louisiana who are traveling contractors by trade.