Safety committee members (from left) Joe Joaquim, Dane Moore, Art Torres, Dan Boschee, Mike Gomes and Mark Flanders
The Local 1245 Health and Safety Committee honored committee member Art Torres for his many years service representing SMUD. Torres, who has worked in a variety of roles in union service, retired after 42 years in December of last year, and served on the Safety Committee for the last 12 years. He will be replaced on the Safety Committee by electrician Mark Flanders, who has 31 years of service to SMUD.
Committee members presented Torres with a plaque and some playful ribbing for past exploits at a lunch in his honor at a local Italian restaurant. Torres was known to be a regular attendee at the National Safety Council Labor Division. His personable ways gave him the opportunity to meet and know a lot of people.
In particular, Torres buddied up with the Canadian contingent of the IBEW, as the Canadians are known for their love of drink and a pleasant habit for buying. If you were looking for Torres, then all you had to do was find the Canadians.
But despite Torres’ funloving demeanor, for him, safety is always a serious matter. “Safety was always important to me,” Torres recently said. “I stayed with the safety committee the longest. I’ve had a lot of roles, but safety was the priority.”
Art Torres is still active in his role as an advisory council member for the local and will continue to serve out his term as a senior member- even in retirement.
-Rich Lane, IBEW 1245 Safety Rep