On April 15, 2020, the City of Pittsburg officially recognized IBEW 1245 as the bargaining representative for utility lineworkers, utility technicians, and maintenance technicians at Island Energy in Vallejo.
Pittsburg Power Company, the city’s electric and gas utility, has a franchise service agreement to provide electric and natural gas services on Vallejo’s Mare Island peninsula, where they do business as Island Energy. As such, all Island Energy workers are City of Pittsburg employees.
Workers from Island Energy first approached Local 1245 to organize in autumn of last year. At the time, our union chose not to assist because they were part of a larger, Teamsters-represented city works unit. When earlier this year the Teamsters agreed to a bargaining unit modification, the Island Energy workers unanimously petitioned the city to become their own IBEW-represented unit. Now, having won their place in IBEW 1245, they will begin bargaining a new collective bargaining agreement right away.
–Rick Thompson, IBEW International Lead Organizer