IBEW 1245 members, donning red union tee shirts, showed up in force at the Vallejo City Council meeting on April 23.
IBEW 1245 members at the City of Vallejo have begun long anticipated contract negotiations in a bold attempt to reverse years of sacrifice following the Great Recession and bankruptcy that contributed to low wages, understaffing and high turnover rates.
Supported by IBEW 1245 Business Representative Kim Camatti, the bargaining committee has held two meetings with the City, and set the stage to demand a compensation/benefits package more in line with comparable agencies across the Bay.
At the Vallejo City Council meeting on Tuesday, April 23, 2024 more than 70 City employees — all IBEW 1245 bargaining unit members — packed the City Hall In an impressive showing of strength to support their bargaining team. They were joined by members from GVRD (Greater Vallejo Recreation District) and twelve organizing stewards and staff who came from Fresno, Sacramento and San Francisco to stand in solidarity with them.
Many of those present at the meeting had participated in IBEW 1245’s organizing drive to build union density at the City. Camatti and the IBEW 1245 Organizing Team conducted trainings at the Union Hall about the union difference and the importance of a strong, unified membership as IBEW 1245 leading up to labor negotiations. Working with a handful of strong leaders, they grew a strong Volunteer Organizing Committee (VOC). Over the course of six months, VOC members reached out to their co-workers and encouraged them to sign up as union members. Union density grew from 52% to more than 75%, and is still growing. The work bore fruit as evidenced by the sea of red shirts outside City Hall.
“Our members are biting at the bit for action and to be involved. They’re happy to be here because they’ve been waiting a long time for these negotiations,” declared Camatti.
Kim Camatti
In her testimony to the City Council, Camatti said, “We represent more than 200 employees in nearly every department: Public Works, Water Distribution, City Hall, Police, Fire, and Housing to name a few … Our members, many of whom reside right here in the City of Vallejo, have sacrificed for years so that the City can prosper … Using mutually agreed upon comparison agencies and metrics, our Union prepared a total compensation survey that demonstrated our members are 16.78% below average in total compensation and 21.71% below average in wages. We are fighting for the survival of our membership and the future of this City. We expect better. We deserve better. We demand better. ”
James Olson
James Olson, a member of the 1245 bargaining committee at Vallejo, has worked with the City for twenty-five years as a Senior Landscape Inspector. In his testimony to the City Council, he said, “For the last sixteen years we’ve gone without. We took a 16% pay cut and we’ve only made 6% back in the last four years. It’s time for [the City] to recognize our members and their contributions to the City.”
Fellow Bargaining Committee Member Josh Davidson, a Utility Supervisor who has worked at the City of Vallejo for 14 years, added, “We would like our City to deal with us in a respectful and professional manner. They need to do better with how they deal with our bargaining team.”
“I’m here to support our union, to stand up for what I believe is right, and to support the people who support me,” said Lamar Reyes, a Traffic Signal Technician. “I would like to see equitable pay for the work we do. For as much as we do and that there is to do in this City, we deserve more pay.”
Matt Herrera, a Senior Engineering Technician and Construction Inspector with 16 years at the City, declared, “I’m here to support our membership so that Council and City bigwigs can see our strength and in numbers and see what we mean to this city. We’re here because we’re trying to make our city better. We’d like to see a partnership.”
Following the public comment, the group reconvened in the parking lot where Camatti, Davidson and Olson thanked everyone for showing up in a powerful display of unity and strength as they return to the table.
–Eileen Purcell, IBEW 1245 Senior Advisor to the Business Manager
