Veronica Rivera, NV Energy:
“Having the opportunity to lobby elected officials was something very different for me, because we got to meet face-to-face with politicians and express to them our concerns — and they can actually make [change] real for you. You can be there to represent your people, you can have a one-on-one with the politician, and hopefully they’re actually hearing what you’re saying.”
Jammi Juarez, PG&E:
“I recently was asked to work on my first organizing campaign, for Greenlee tools [in Illinois]… 
They were demanding respect in the workplace, and they reached out to the IBEW; they wanted to be a part of our union. So we—myself and Casey Salkauskas— were asked to go out and help the lead organizer… We did house visits, leafleting at the jobsite, we held informational meetings. And just working with the employees on a daily basis, the one-on-one interactions, learning their stories and hearing how they just wanted the simple basics, like respect in the workplace – it really brings it all back home, why we do this… It was amazing to see these workers stand up for themselves.”
Jaime Tinoco, City of Lompoc:
“The biggest moment for me was when we had all the signatures that were required to certify the union [at the City of Lompoc]. I was very excited. I’ve been trying to bring the IBEW to Lompoc for over 20 years, based on the fact that IBEW 1245 represented Lompoc back in the 70s. I wanted to bring them back, and it took a very long time… We just ratified our first contract December of last year, and the vote was 89-0. This is the first time we’ve ever had a [unanimous] vote like that… and the reason is because people believe in this union. They have a lot of trust in us, and we have not disappointed them.”
Casey Salkauskas, PG&E:
“My most memorable experience from the Greenlee campaign was when we were invited into one of the family’s houses to talk to them. Most people we would talk to at the doorfront, but this one immigrant family insisted that we come inside, sit down in the parlor and have a drink… The wife told us a story about how her position was changed at Greenlee because of favoritism. Someone else wanted her job, and when she asked why she was being transferred, the supervisor told her outright, ‘You’ve very quiet. You speak with an accent. Nobody likes that. That’s why.’ It took everything I had to hold back the tears, the anger and the frustration I felt in that moment. That was the most moving thing I’ve done in my union career.”
Eric Sunderland, SMUD:
“I remember my first taste of the OUR Walmart campaign was at the California State Democratic Convention. They brought [fired Walmart worker and activist] Barbara Collins out on to the stage to tell her story [about being fired for organizing], and she received a standing ovation. Then, through the IBEW, I actually got to meet Barbara and work with her on the OUR Walmart campaign. To see Walmart workers like Barbara have the strength to stand up against such tyranny is really inspiring.”
Georgette Carrillo,PG&E:
“When we won the Measure G campaign in Fresno, we were able to save 100 garbage workers’ jobs, and I remember the garbage workers coming up to us [campaign volunteers] and personally saying ‘Thank you.’ That was really touching because we were able to save their good, middle-class jobs. Otherwise, they would have lost their jobs and benefits. It was an amazing experience.”
Michael Musgrove, PG&E:
“[IBEW Organizer] Jennifer Grey reached out to me one night and asked me if I was interested in going to San Antonio for the AFL-CIO’s Martin Luther King Day Conference … I’m a new shop steward, and I’ve been familiar with the union but not really involved with the union, so the moment I got the opportunity to get more involved [by going to San Antonio] I wasn’t going to pass it up. When I was there, I heard that the majority of the labor workforce is going to be retiring in the next ten years, which made me realize that the next generation – myself included – needs to be aware … that unions fight for us every day, and will continue to fight just like they have in the past. That was really impactful.”