“Fire in my Belly” – IBEW 1245 Organizing Stewards Get Out the Vote in California’s Primary Election

 “If you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu.”

In union circles, this adage often refers to the importance of collective bargaining, which gives workers a seat at the table where decisions are made that affect their livelihood.

But those same types of decisions — the kind that could make our break our union and our industry — are increasingly in the hands of elected officials at the local, state and federal levels. And the only way we can keep ourselves at the table and off the menu is through political action. We must work to elect politicians who have our best interest at heart; otherwise, we could lose everything we’ve fought for over generations.

This is why IBEW 1245 and its organizing stewards play an active role in each and every primary and general election. In the month leading up to the March 4^th primary election in California, IBEW 1245 released a total of 20 organizing stewards on union time off to assist the Alameda Labor Council, South Bay Labor Council, Contra Costa Labor Council, Napa/Solano Labor Council, and North Valley Labor Federation with their member-to-member “Get Out the Vote” (GOTV) outreach programs. Additionally, 19 staffers and 20 organizing stewards volunteered on their own time to support the 1245-endorsed candidates in Sacramento in support of SMUD Board member Rosanna Herber’s bid for Assembly District 6.

The 2024 California primary election was characterized by two main factors — widespread low turnout, and several incredibly close races. The overall turnout in the California primary was just 36%, while turnout in the counties within 1245’s jurisdiction was slightly higher, about 40%.

Historically, low voter turnout has typically translated to a more anti-worker electorate and broader losses for pro-union candidates. But despite this trend, IBEW 1245’s endorsed candidates still fared exceptionally well. A whopping 96% of 1245-backed candidates in federal and state races garnered enough votes to advance to the general election in November, while 84% of our endorsed candidates in local races won or advanced to a runoff in November – and there’s no doubt that our membership made the difference in some close races.

“The 1245 organizing team, organizing stewards and numerous staff members did a great job in putting out the word in support of our candidates,” said IBEW 1245 Assistant Business Manager Hunter Stern. “Sincere thanks to each and every 1245 member who worked to produce these impressive results in a difficult election. Now, on to November where we will need to work even harder to elect 1245 endorsed candidates in both California and Nevada!”

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In Alameda county, IBEW 1245 organizing stewards assisted the Labor Council in support of Kathryn Lybarger, a longtime labor leader who ran for Senate in District 7, as well as Nate Miley and Nikki Fortunato Bas for County Board of Supervisors.

Both of the 1245-endorsed candidates for Alameda Board of Supervisors won, although only Miley won 50%+1 to win his seat outright. Bas, who helped 1245 pass the Safe Work Zone Ordinance in Oakland, garnered the most votes but did not achieve 50%+1, so she will face off against another opponent in the general election in November.

Lybarger, president of the California Labor Federation, unfortunately failed to garner enough votes to advance to the November election, but Local 1245 organizing stewards still valued the chance they had to support her campaign.

“Kathryn Lybarger frequently came to the Alameda Labor Council to be a part of the canvassing blitz, giving pep-talks and answering any questions from volunteers,” said Organizing Steward Ramona Garcia. “Not only was I campaigning for her as a candidate, but I actually now know her and have built a rapport with her, so that made me go even harder to try to help get more people to vote … During the course of the two weeks, Tim and I completed 1470 calls while phone banking and knocked on 256 doors. I think that is an amazing piece of data for just two people.”

“When I saw Kathryn at the Joint Legislative Conference, it felt great that she knew me by name and thanked me again for all our efforts,” said Lead Organizing Steward Tim Neal. “I walked away from this experience with a fire in my belly, knowing in my heart this is something I love to do. I know 2024 will be a busy year and I look forward to the next campaign.”

In Contra Costa county, IBEW 1245 organizing stewards assisted the Labor Council in support of Lybarger, as well as Monica Wilson in Assembly District 15; Tim Grayson in Senate District 9; Diane Burgis for County Supervisor in District 3; and Shanelle Sale-Preston for County Supervisor in District 5.

“We went canvassing daily rain or shine … Over my two weeks being here, we canvassed many miles and knocked on more than 1000 doors!” said new Organizing Steward Katherine Flores. “I truly enjoyed this experience and look forward to assisting on other union business! It was definitely hard work but worth it to get those in the office that support our values and goals as union members.”

“I am beyond thankful for these experiences that the union allows us to do, and I think it is so important for us to be involved,” said Lead Organizing Steward Kayela Jones. “I can’t wait for the next campaign and to learn even more than I already have.”

In Napa and Solano counties, IBEW 1245 organizing stewards assisted the Labor Council in support of Board of Supervisors candidates Liz Alessio, Belia Ramos, Mitch Mashburn and Cassandra James.

“For me the best part was the neighborhoods we walked were on good, structured streets so we were able to reach out to many people,” said Lead Organizing Steward Maria Renteria Orozco. “Everyone was very welcoming, and some knew the candidates already.”

“I had a lot of fun interacting with people, and most of the people who answered the door thanked me for walking and reminding them to vote,” added Organizing Steward Josh Sosa.

In the North Valley, IBEW 1245 supported the area Labor Federation campaigns for Sonny Dhaliwal for County Supervisor in District 3; former Congressman Jerry McNerney who is now running for State Senate; Jess Self for Assembly District 22; and former Assemblymember Adam Gray who is now running for Congress.

“I had the pleasure of having several meaningful conversations with voters who either support the union or have a loved one who is a union member. They shared their personal stories about how the union has positively impacted their families’ lives and expressed gratitude for the availability of good jobs. These stories further motivated me to reach out to more people and explain why we endorse candidates who prioritize workers’ rights,” said Lead Organizing Steward Nick Rodriguez. “Engaging with voters on the phone and in person allowed me and our group to establish meaningful connections, share important information about the candidates, and address any concerns voters had. Each conversation felt like a step towards building a stronger community and promoting candidates who are dedicated to serving the public.”

“I had a great experience canvassing, where I was able to directly engage with members of the community and gain insights into their priorities. It was incredibly rewarding to listen to their perspectives and discuss how we could address their needs by electing the endorsed candidates,” said Maria Caratachea Echeverria. “The North Valley Labor Federation provided the tools needed, and having a teammate to canvass with made the experience more enjoyable and I would also say effective. We would go in different directions to cover more ground, but I could always call Nick for support.”

In the South Bay, IBEW 1245 supported the Labor Council campaigns for Supervisor candidates Otto Lee and Margaret Abe-Koga; along with San Jose City Council candidates Babu Prasad, Kansen Chu, Domingo Candelas and Lenka Wright.

“The work we did consisted of recruiting delegates, setting up precinct walks, printing scripts, organizing literature, dispatching canvassers, running phone banks, and joining the phonebanks by making calls,” reported Lead Organizing Steward Brenda Balcazar. “We were making calls down to the last 30 minutes [before polls close], reminding and encouraging folks that that they still had time to get their ballots in. Overall, our roles at SBLC changed constantly, but we were both able to pivot and provide the best support possible.”

“Phone banking was intimidating at first, but after getting the groove of it, I was able to dial-in and become comfortable with both rejective and positive calls,” said new Organizing Steward Luis Vega. “Supporting the South Bay Labor Council was a wonderful experience; it’s great to collaborate with other unions within the community to attempt to secure a win for working class people.”

The specific race whose results are still reverberating around the state is in the South Bay area. In Congressional District 16, where 11 names were on the ballot, two candidates — 1245-endorsed candidate Evan Low, and Joe Simitian — literally tied for second place; each with 17.5% of the vote. Former San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo finished first with 21% of the vote. Under California law, the two tied candidates would advance with Liccardo to the general election in November.  But on Wednesday April 10, two Liccardo supporters filed to have the vote challenged and demand a recount. At the time of this writing, Santa Clara county election officials are reviewing the demand and will render a decision shortly.

In Sacramento, IBEW 1245 supported City Council candidates Roger Dickenson, Eric Guerra and Mai Vang, all of whom were the top vote-getters in their respective races.

IBEW 1245 also worked to support SMUD Board member Rosanna Herber in her campaign for Assembly in District 6. She has been a good friend of IBEW 1245 and supported our membership at the Sacramento Municipal Utility District. Unfortunately, she did not get labor’s endorsement through the Sacramento Labor Council in this crowded race, where six people were running for the open seat.

“1245 Business Manager Bob Dean committed IBEW 1245 staff and administrative staff to volunteer on Tuesdays and Thursdays for three weeks to assist Herber with house calls. A total of 18 staff walked for Herber, knocking on over 1,400 doors in the Sacramento area,” IBEW 1245 Assistant Business Manager Rene Cruz Martinez reporterd. “While we are disappointed that Herber didn’t succeed in her campaign for State Assembly, we look forward to continuing to work closely with her on key issues at SMUD.”

Additionally, in the exceptionally close Sacramento Mayor’s race where four candidates were within reach of the top spot, 1245-endorsed candidate and current Assemblymember Kevin McCarty ended up finishing second, by just over 100 votes, and will advance to the general election in November. The race was one of the closest in the state, with the fourth-place candidate only 150 votes behind McCarty in second.  We look forward to electing McCarty as the next Mayor of Sacramento this fall.

To get involved in the November 2024 election, email organizers@ibew1245.com

Hunter Stern and Rene Cruz Martinez contributed to this report.