IBEW 1245 Executive Board members Cecelia De La Torre, Art Freitas, Stan Zamora, Pete Zamora and Mike Jessen joined Organizing Stewards Kristen Rasmussen, Jammi Juarez and Porfiro Saenz and Kevin Krummes at the California Labor Federation’s 2015 Joint Legislative Conference in Sacramento on April 13. More than 500 leaders and activists from hundreds of California unions were present at the event. The theme for 2015 was “Working People Standing Together Changing Lives.” Guest speakers included Governor Jerry Brown and Attorney General Kamala Harris.
From left to right: Tawar, Astrid Zuniga, UHCW & President Stanislaus CLC, Rocio Mejias, President NVLF, Josefina Ochoa, UDWA, Cecelia De La Torre, IBEW 1245 Treasurer & San Joaquin/Calaveras Executive Board, Kristen Rasmussen, Organizing Steward and Stanislaus CLC Executive Board Member, Tim Robertson, NVLF Organizer, Richard Andazola, Teamster & President San Joaquin/Calaveras CLC.
De La Torre and Rasmussen lobbied in the State Capitol building for several bills that are important to labor, including SB 546 (Leno), AB 219 (Daly), AB 1509 (Hernandez) and more. The group broke into smaller groups to cover more ground and met with several state senators.
Here is a personal account of the Conference from 1245’s Kevin Krummes:
For those of you who grew up in Northern California during the 1960s and 70s, and who were even slightly into rock music, you certainly remember concert promoter and rock icon, Bill Graham. Graham was the era’s most important promoter, always bringing rocks biggest acts to the Bay Area. From The Who to Zeppelin to Bowie, no one of any consequence ever slighted Bill and the Bay Area. Apparently the California Labor Federation has the same stature and pull as good old Bill did, as they produced a virtual who’s who of state politicos at this years Legislative Conference. From the Governor on down, the Labor Fed illuminated the states brightest political lights at the conference, April 13th and 14th in Sacramento.
This years delegates (which I was fortunate enough to be selected to represent IBEW 1245) were treated to such heavyweights as the Speaker of the Assembly, Tori Atkins, and Senate Pro Tem, Kevin De Leon. Not impressed? Well at lunch we heard from State Attorney General, Kamala Harris, then at dinner, none other than the Governor himself, Jerry Brown. Between lunch and dinner we were treated to numerous briefings, including one I attended in which Secretary of State, Alex Padilla, held court with a select panel to improve voter turnout. Padilla, along with his co-panelists, had multiple and intriguing ideas on expanding registration and boosting turnout. Other briefings included Union Healthcare, Immigration, and current lawsuits affecting Labor.
Day 2 of the conference was geared to direct lobbying of legislators. Each Central Labor Council lobbied in different ways, meeting with their districts elected officials in a group session, or hitting the Capitol hallways in search of their particular representatives. Either way we talked directly to our representatives and pressed labor concerns.
Also that day a comrade of mine from 1245, Jammi Juarez, and I attended a Senate Committee Hearing on a bill that would halt speculator greed and immoral evictions of working families in San Francisco. Supporting tenant rights in a city where working people are being systematically pushed out is the right thing to do, and it makes me proud that Local 1245 supports them. I felt honored and a bit humbled to represent 1245 that day. Though we lost that battle, this specific war on working families is not over. I look forward to the day we right this particular wrong.
The two days of the conference were both stirring and evocative. To be at the seat of power where important issues are decided daily was a heady feeling. And when you realize that California is the 7th leading economy in the world, you begin to understand the responsibility and duty that Labor, and indeed we Union members, bear. We are the last outpost of the working men and women of this state, we simply cannot let them down…..