“We don’t do it for the recognition. We do it because it’s the right thing to do.”
IBEW 1245 Business Manager Tom Dalzell uses this phrase often when describing why Local 1245 is always ready and willing to provide volunteers and member-organizers to assist other unions and campaigns in need. But despite the fact that “we don’t do it for the recognition,” IBEW 1245 has been recognized twice in the last two weeks for its outstanding commitment to helping other unions and locals win tough battles, no matter where those battles are.
Local 1245 was recognized as a “Henry Miller Local” at the recent IBEW 9th District meeting — a title bestowed on IBEW locals that go above and beyond to support the organizing efforts of other locals. Local 1245 was commended for sending members to other locales to work on tough union campaigns, particularly last year’s organizing fight at Greenlee, where Local 1245 volunteers helped to propel the workers there to victory.
The delegation from IBEW 1245 joins Business Manager Tom Dalzell to accept the solidarity award at the California Labor Biennial Convention
At the California Labor Federation’s 2014 Biennial Convention, Local 1245 received the award for “Solidarity in Labor’s Campaigns” in the state of California. Earlier this year, Local 1245 released more than a dozen organizing stewards to work on some of California Labor’s most important political and organizing campaigns on the year, including Tim Sbranti for Assembly, Connie Leyva for Senate and the organizing campaign at Taylor Farms.
“We found that there’s a burning hunger within our membership to do something, to belong to something, and to be better than we have been,” Dalzell said, crediting Local 1245 member-activists and volunteers for their hard work while accepting the award from the Labor Federation. “Our members have answered the call…. Wherever there’s a [union] fight, that’s where we’re going.”