Vacaville – Much like the famous California Condor was saved from near extinction a generation ago, the classification at PG&E formerly known as the Foreman’s Clerk and Assistant Foreman’s Clerk has been brought back from the brink of extinction.
A new agreement was reached recently between PG&E and IBEW 1245 that brings back to life a classification that was down to only 4 members!
Letter of Agreement 24-28 was negotiated with PG&E and signed by Bob Dean in mid-September 2024.
The agreement allowed clerks who had been directly supporting Electric Maintenance & Construction, Restoration Troubleshooters, and those in the Superintendent’s Assistant role to elect to be converted to the newly named Leader’s Clerk or Assistant Leader’s Clerk as of the end of October 2024. It also created 149 LC and ALC positions. 142 of 149 clerks elected to be converted to one of these 2 new classifications.
The severe degradation of the numbers of these positions of course was not caused by chemicals or other environmental changes that affected the California Condor; but rather a choice PG&E made in 2006 1) to stop filling vacancies with this classification and 2) instead, to utilize lower paid classifications. For nearly 20 years, PG&E did not fill ANY vacancies with the FC or AFC. With LA 24-28 that can’t happen again.
LA 24-28 requires any future vacancies to be filled only with Leader’s Clerks or Assistant Leader’s Clerks rather than with other lower-paid clerical support classifications.
The IBEW 1245 members who have been supporting these electric groups at PG&E (some for more 15 years or more) are glad for this change not only for themselves but for what it means going forward.
Lori Mobley, a new Leader’s Clerk, thinks it is a great opportunity for current members and for the future. She shared, “it has increased opportunity for our clerical employees and brings back a classification that never should have been left unfilled.”
Other clerks point out that this agreement has changed the way they think about their role with PG&E.
Longtime IBEW member Dolores Lotito said, “I’m a Leader’s Clerk, so now I need to set the example for my coworkers. I have always taken pride in my work, but it is a great feeling to be proud of my position and my place in support of Electric M&C and my superintendent.”
The nearly 150 clerks who are directly affected by this new LA 24-28, as well as those members who will fill these vacancies in the future, will not only help PG&E, but will help IBEW 1245 members keep doing the work that they have so proudly done for over 50 years in support of the other IBEW 1245 members in the field keeping the Power in our Hands.
- Bryan Carroll, Sr. Assistant Business Manager