After nearly a year of bargaining, including 25 often-contentious sessions, the IBEW members at the City of Vallejo celebrated a momentous contract victory in late 2016 when they finally secured a new agreement that included their first general wage increase in more than eight years.
At the January Advisory Council meeting, IBEW 1245 Business Manager Tom Dalzell commended the Vallejo bargaining committee for their hard-fought victory.
“With tremendous perseverance and refusal to give up, we showed what a union can do when we all stick together!” Dalzell said during the Advisory Council meeting, while flanked by members of the committee.
Vallejo Bargaining Unit member Oni Brown (far right) thanked Local 1245 staff and leaders for supporting the Vallejo members during difficult contract negotiations
Dalzell also recognized the exceptional bargaining skills that Senior Assistant Business Manager Ray Thomas brought to the table, calling him “the best negotiator that 1245 has ever had.”
Bargaining Committee member Oni Brown remarked on how pleased he and the other members at the City of Vallejo were with the final agreement, given the unique circumstances they faced following the City’s bankruptcy in 2008, and the subsequent wage freezes and concessions they’ve endured ever since.
“We’re not yet back to where we were before the City filed for bankruptcy, but this [contract] is more than just a step forward; it’s a leap forward,” Brown told the Advisory Council. “I just want to thank every at 1245 for all the support. We hope to continue to push forward, because we still have a long way to go.”