I'm thinking these folks are underpaid & under trained.

I got more training that that as a newly hired first year apprentice with my power company, on top of my apprenticeship board required education. And I still had to work under direct supervision until I got my journeyman ticket.

Unless there's a lot more to it, they're likely not qualified, and you'll see the electrical and mechanical trades start a fuss over it.

Strange enough, I recall, at least in Canada that the requirements for a grounding conductor be of copper.

Guess I won't be seeing that around here.

You haven't been in a game shop recently. There's knock off versions of *opoly by the boatload.