Lonnie Stephenson, left, meets with IBEW 1245 members Casey Salkauskas and Jammi Juarez during the organizing drive at Greenlee in Illinois in 2013.
IBEW Local 1245 is expecting great things from Lonnie Stephenson, the man who becomes the new International President of the IBEW on June 1.
Stephenson “comes from the tools” and most recently has been the International Vice President for IBEW’s 6th District, serving the Great Lakes states of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin. He became very familiar with the work of IBEW 1245 when our local sent organizers into his district three times to help defend unions against the anti-labor policies of Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker.
“Lonnie is a big believer in training, in organizing, and unions helping each other,” said IBEW 1245 Business Manager Tom Dalzell. Stephenson also has been a “leading voice” for the IBEW’s Utility Coordinating Council, which has brought together several local utility unions to present a united front to Berkshire Hathaway. That company, headed by Warren Buffett, took over NV Energy in recent years, raising concerns among IBEW 1245 members employed there.
Progress is being made to address these concerns, Dalzell said, including a recent trip to Birmingham, Alabama in which NV Energy officials joined Dalzell, Stephenson and others in visiting a company known for its positive labor-management relations.
IBEW 1245 Organizer Jammi Juarez, one of the Local 1245 members who assisted the campaign in Wisconsin, called Stephenson an amazing person, one who believes in trade unionism, who “comes out of the tools and is true to the cause.”
“In Wisconsin, all 3 times we were there he made it a point to come out and express his appreciation for us being in his district and helping his members,” said Juarez.
Along with IBEW 1245 member Casey Salkauskas, Juarez returned to Stephenson’s district in 2013 to assist the organizing campaign at Greenlee tools in Rockford, Ill. Stephenson not only took time to come out and meet with the visiting organizers, Juarez said, “he spent a day with us on a house blitz,” working to convince Greenlee workers to vote for IBEW representation. The IBEW won that election by a better than 2-1 margin.
“The membership respects him and loves him. I’m very excited he’s been appointed International President—he’s going to do a phenomenal job,” Juarez said.
Stephenson succeeds Ed Hill, another strong supporter of IBEW Local 1245, who is retiring after 15 years of distinguished service as the union’s top officer.