Every year at the IBEW Membership Development Conference, IBEW 1245 is singled out for its strong membership engagement and organizing program.
IBEW ORGANIZING LEADERSIHP AWARD Presented to Bob Dean For exceptional dedication & outstanding achievements in the field of organizing. We honor your contributions to the IBEW, and unwavering commitment to improving the lives of those around you. Your leadership, passion and exceptional effort set an example for others to follow and embodies the core values of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW.
This year’s conference in Chicago was no different, and IBEW 1245 received numerous awards.
A singular moment of pride was the International’s recognition of Business Manager Bob Dean who received the IBEW Organizing Leadership Award.
Senior Assistant Business Manager Ralph Armstrong, who accepted the award on behalf of Brother Dean, declared, “What makes these awards so special is that one of them was for Market Share, for which Local 1245 was recognized as the local with the highest market share in the country – 99%. Another award was for the most new “A” memberships. When you have 99% market share and still get the most new members you have to ask, “How is that possible?” It’s out of the box thinking and finding new and non-traditional groups to bring on. Under Bob’s leadership nothing is impossible.”
Dean has built an IBEW 1245 staff invested in strong membership engagement and fortified a robust steward program, setting a high bar across the country.
1245 Shop Stewards are trained to defend their co-workers and the contract; Safety Stewards protect life and limb; and Organizing Stewards provide the shock troops who defend, protect and advocate for 1245’s brotherhood/sisterhood and the labor movement.
From fighting bad legislation and supporting good legislation at State capitols, to working elections and supporting pro-labor candidates and initiatives, to new organizing and internal organizing, to contract fights and simply showing up at work and reminding coworkers of the union difference, stewards are the bedrock of the union. Member engagement, education and full participation are the secret sauce.
Case Studies
During a battle at the California State legislature last fall, IBEW 1245 mobilized 26,000 members. At issue: an anti-labor bill that sought to farm out utility work traditionally done by IBEW 1245 to the lowest bidder. The potential impact on our membership was dramatic. In record time, the IBEW 1245 Organizing Team cut turf and trained staff and organizing stewards to send the message that the bill was a non-starter. Within 48 hours, staff and stewards made over 20,000 calls. 7,000 members were reached, generating 1,500 calls to legislators. The bill was blocked.
More recently, IBEW 1245 Assistant Business Manager/Organizer Rene Cruz Martinez and his team partnered with IBEW 1245 Business Representative Kim Camatti to build a twelve-month internal organizing campaign in anticipation of difficult contract negotiations at the City of Vallejo. They formed a Volunteer Organizing Committee (VOC), mapped the property, and trained members on how to hold 1:1 conversations with co-workers about the union difference. They set a goal of increasing union membership before negotiations began.
Forty 1245 members from the City of Vallejo attended trainings at the Hall. For many, it was their first time visiting the union headquarters. By the time contract negotiations began, union density rose from 52% to 76%. Members mobilized, rallied and packed City Hall meetings. Business Manager Bob Dean testified. Labor and religious allies weighed in. And we prevailed, winning one of the strongest contracts in decades. Today, union density is over 81% and rising. Brother Cruz Martinez described the exercise at the City of Vallejo “as bringing the full weight and the best of our union to the table – everyone came together, showed our unity, and won.”
Josh Sosa, IBEW 1245 member from the City of Vallejo and an organizing steward reported how transformative the contract fight was and how impressive it was to be invited to participate in this year’s membership conference. “It was my first IBEW conference, and it was awesome. To see how big we are, experiencing the brotherhood, to have the chance to share my story at the City of Vallejo, seeing Bob Dean and our Local getting recognized made me proud.”
Congratulations to Bob Dean and the IBEW 1245 staff, stewards and membership.
Partial List of Awards to IBEW 1245 at IBEW Membership Development Conference:
“A” Membership Growth in 1 Year
Outstanding Achievement for Market Share – 3 Year Average
Organizing Leadership Award