After months at the bargaining table, the IBEW 1245 negotiating committee at Sacramento Regional Transit (SacRT) rejected SacRT’s “take it or leave it” stance and their refusal to grant the same wage increase agreed to with other units at the agency.
At issue: An additional 3% in base wages for our 247 IBEW members that SacRT granted another employee group.
The vast majority of IBEW 1245’s members — buses, LR vehicles, track and ground/facilities – fill positions that require thirty-six to forty-two months of training/apprenticeship program.
“These professional classifications require extensive training just to qualify for their jobs. And as the District moves to an electrified fleet and acquires brand new trains, additional training and certification will be necessary to manage advancements in the technology and application,” said IBEW 1245 Chief negotiator Sheila Lawton.
Sr. Assistant Business Manager Al Fortier added, “Given their level of training and skills, our members deserve to be made whole. Without them the trains don’t run, and the system doesn’t work. They deliver for Sac RT and the community.”
Sesar Brambila, a journeyman Mechanic A, Sac RT GO, shared, “During these negotiations I feel that the district has discounted the importance of what we do to keep the public moving. It seems like the district just forgot about us as a unit. We are the skilled labor that keeps these buses, trains, and facilities running, and we want the importance to be reflected in the district’s bargain with us.”
The District has acknowledged the discrepancy in wages. Notwithstanding IBEW 1245’s negotiating committee’s good faith effort to find creative solutions to reach a settlement, instead of meeting the union midway, the District rejected our offer and pulled money and benefits off the table.
On July 19, 2024, members expressed their deep disappointment in an Open Letter to SacRT General Manager Henry Li. More than three quarters of the IBEW 1245 bargaining unit signed the letter in record time.
In early August, IBEW 1245 Business Manager Bob Dean stated, “Historically, we’ve enjoyed a collaborative relationship with SacRT management. IBEW 1245 has been a critical partner helping secure millions of dollars in federal funds and transit bonds. It makes no sense that they are missing this opportunity to honor their workforce and to make employees whole. And they can afford to do it!”
Meanwhile, while resisting calls for wage equity, SacRT VP, David Topaz, recently invited IBEW 1245 to discuss building a gym to advance “employee wellness.” Lawton, declared, “One of the best ways to improve employee morale and well-being is to honor equity and fairness across the work force and to conduct good faith bargaining at the Table.”
IBEW 1245’s position remains firm, insisting that 1245 members at SacRT deserve a fair and equitable agreement.
On Monday, August 26th, 2024, at 4pm IBEW 1245 members at SacRT will rally before the SacRT Board meeting and testify at the meeting 1) to express their dismay at the failure of SacRT to respect their work and 2) to demand wage equity and fairness now.
WHO: IBEW 1245 Members at SacRT & friends
WHAT: Rally at SacRT Board Meeting & Attend Board Mtg
WHEN: Monday, August 26th, 2024; 4:00pm rally; 5:00pm Board Mtg.
WHERE: Q Street Auditorium, 1102 Q Street, 4th floor, Suite 4600, Sacramento CA
For more information, contact IBEW 1245 Business Representative Sheila Lawton at 916-203-2277 or SLL3@ibew1245com or Sr. Assistant Business Manager Al Fortier at 510-230-3188 or AWF2@ibew1245.com.
