Siemens Workers United Lose Hard Fought Election, Pledge to Keep Fighting

Sacramento – IBEW 1245 made significant inroads towards organizing Siemens Mobility in Sacramento despite coming up short in a union election on March 13, 2025.

1,600 workers in a production unit consisting of assemblers, equipment operators, painters, material handlers, maintenance technicians, and welders fought valiantly, even as they faced a brutal anti-union campaign waged by Siemens Mobility management.

Siemens Mobility is a division of Siemens AG, a global technology company focused on industry, infrastructure, transport, and healthcare, headquartered in Germany. The Siemens Mobility’s manufacturing facility in South Sacramento is a major fabrication site for the company’s locomotive, coach, light rail, and high-speed train products.

Local 1245 and the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers Local 549 (IBB) joined forces to lead the organizing drive, calling the initiative,  ”Siemen’s Worker United.”   The Union and Company adopted an “International Framework Agreement,” defining rules of engagement.  A Volunteer Organizing Committee (VOC) was formed and worked diligently to reach out to co-workers and build support for the unionizing drive over an eighteen-month period.

Substandard wages, serious safety concerns, and inadequate training were among the issues propelling workers to organize.

IBEW 1245 Assistant Business Manager Rene Cruz Martinez stated, “The VOC and Union organizers mounted an impressive, comprehensive campaign. We did the research, held weekly meetings and trained VOC members to hold countless one-on-one conversations. Once we filed authorization cards, we went into high gear, mobilizing one hundred fifty-five volunteers to door knock, phone bank, and leaflet in between every shift.”

“Our staff worked around the clock. We mobilized Organizing Stewards. IBEW International Vice President for the 9^th District, Dave Reaves, joined us on the line. Organizers from other IBEW locals in the IBEW’s 9^th District along with affiliates from the California Federation of Labor and the  Sacramento and NVLF labor councils dedicated days to stand with us.  State and Local elected leaders joined workers on the line! We worked in English, Vietnamese, Dari, Spanish, Hmong, Russian, Ukranian and Tagalog to meet the workers in the language in which they were most comfortable,” Cruz Martinez added.

Though tremendous gains were made educating the work force and signing up members, high turnover rates and a classic anti-union campaign worked against the pro-union side.  The Union was also handicapped by not having access to workers inside the plant, and the violation of the Neutrality Agreement by the company.

In the end, fear and intimidation won the day.

IBEW 1245 Business Manager Bob Dean, stated, “Out of 1,444 ballots cast, 833 voted no; 538 voted yes.  No loss is easy, and this one is no exception. The company conducted a vicious anti-union campaign and broke many of the rules up to and including on election day.”

He added, “ I want to thank everyone for their hard work. I especially want to single out 1245’s Assistant Business Manager Rene Cruz Martinez, Organizer Rick Thompson and the entire organizing team and organizing stewards who worked tirelessly on this campaign. They left no stone unturned.  They came up against a myriad challenges and never gave up.  They recruited and mobilized allies from many sister locals, from Central Labor Councils, from the CA Labor Federation and local and state politicians, making us all proud. Lessons have been learned, seeds have been planted. We are stronger as we face the next fight.”

On Thursday, March 20^th, IBEW 1245 and Boilermakers 549 filed a joint objection to the company’s actions during the election, listing sixteen allegations of misconduct.

Senior Assistant Business Manager Al Fortier declared, “Despite the results of the election, I am extremely proud of the effort of our organizing team. We fought hard, demonstrated unwavering commitment to this campaign, and put our energy and expertise on full display. Our friends and allies answered the call. We owe a great deal of gratitude to so many people. I cannot thank them all, but I would like to thank our Business Manager, Bob Dean, and our Executive Board for their unwavering support, our organizing team and organizing stewards, and our administrative and field staff. We will continue to set the standard for IBEW and the labor movement, and we will continue to FIGHT until we WIN.”

 

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  IBEW 1245 Business Reps Casey Salkauskas & Mark Wilson with IBEW 1245 lawyer Alex Pacheco, Business Manager Bob Dean and others

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  IBEW 1245's Rene Cruz Martinez, Al Fortier, & Business Manager Bob Dean with Boilermakers

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  Front to Back: IBEW 1245 Organizing Stewards Kaeyla Jones, Q Thompson, Business Representative Lou Mennel, Organizing Steward Steve Ross, Business Representative Mike Tilden

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  Organizer Rick Thompson & Assistant Business Manager Rene Cruz Martinez

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  The IBEW 1245 Team at Siemens Mobility

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  Siemens Workers United VOC Meeting prior to filing with NLRB

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  IBEW 1245 and IBB Staff Organizers with CA Assemblymember Maggy Krell, Sacramento Labor Council and CA Federation of Labor Unions Staff

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  IBEW 1245 & IBB Staff outside of the Siemens Facility in Sacramento

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  IBEW 1245 & IBB volunteers joined by additional volunteers from Unite Here, SEIU, Sacramento Labor Council. NVLF, and California Federation of Labor unions.

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  Siemens Workers United Worker meeting with guest speakers: Kevin McCarty, Mayor of Sacramento and Mai Vang, Sacramento City Councilmember

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  Siemens Workers United Worker meeting with guest speakers: Eric Guerra, Sacramento City Councilmember and Volma Volcy, Sacramento Labor Council Chief of Staff.