Q: Tell us about yourself
Markwood: I grew up in Napa, California, and I’ve lived in Petaluma for about 20 years. I became a member of IBEW Local 1245 in 2013. Before coming on staff, I worked in PG&E’s gas service department in San Rafael — first as a Gas Service Representative and later as a Service Mechanic.
I represent members across Sonoma, Marin, Napa, and part of Solano counties, covering division, general construction, and clerical classifications for PG&E. I also serve as a voting member of the Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee and as a Fact Finder in the positive discipline process, helping resolve cases that can’t be settled at earlier steps.
Garrett Markwood, IBEW 1245 Business Representative, North Bay
Q: What led you to become a Business Representative?
Markwood: It really started when our shop steward left, and our group in San Rafael didn’t have anyone in that role. I had been getting more involved and speaking up, and it became clear we needed someone to step up, so I became a steward. From there, one thing led to another. I started serving on committees, attending labor-management meetings, and representing the Local at gas utility conferences.
Eventually I was asked to backfill as a Business Rep in the East Bay in 2019, and I came on staff full time in August 2020. It was right in the middle of COVID. It was an interesting time. We couldn’t hold in-person unit meetings, and we couldn’t really go into the yards. We had to figure out how to connect with members in a completely new environment.
Q: What motivates you to do this work?
Markwood: I’ve always had a pretty strong sense of what I think is right and wrong, and I don’t like seeing people get taken advantage of. That’s really what motivated me at first. Early on, I saw becoming a Business Representative as an opportunity to do the work I’d been doing as a steward on a broader scale. But the more I learned, the more I understood that 1245’s impact goes far beyond that. It’s about our influence across the industry.
My job is to represent the people working in these roles today, but also to help make sure these careers are still here for future generations. I’m here because of the work that was done by the people in this role before me. It’s our responsibility to continue building that foundation.
Q: What does being a union member mean to you personally?
Markwood: Before I joined 1245, I had spent probably 15 years working in the trades, and I had nothing to show for it. My wife and kids were getting medical care through the state because I didn’t have health insurance — and I hadn’t for a decade or more. We had no retirement, no benefits of any kind. We were living paycheck to paycheck, just trying to get by, and it wasn’t for lack of trying, right?
Getting hired at PG&E and becoming part of 1245 completely changed the trajectory of my life. The wages, the benefits, the security — those things exist because the union holds the company accountable. Employers don’t typically just give those things away. The benefits that PG&E’s represented workforce enjoy is due almost exclusively to the work of Local 1245 over the years.
And Bob Dean talks about this: every one of our members represents a household. It’s not just the 30,000 members we have. It’s easily 100,000 people whose lives are connected to this work. That’s what’s really at stake.”
Q: What do you want the members you represent to know about you?
Markwood: That this work is about them, but it’s also about the future. It’s about their kids and grandkids who might one day come into these trades. The decisions we make today shape what those opportunities look like down the road.
Q: What has been the most rewarding part of your role so far?
Markwood: It’s hard to point to one moment because the work never really stops. It’s a collection of small victories over time. But one of the most meaningful parts is being there when members are going through difficult situations, especially after serious incidents or injuries.
I’ve worked with members who were hurt or experienced a serious incident on the job, and it took a toll on them and their families. Some struggled to return to work, but to see them doing well now, building their lives back.
Q: What do you enjoy outside of work?
Markwood: My wife and I enjoy spending time together and taking trips when we can make it happen. I enjoy woodworking, especially hand-tool woodworking, and I’ve got a small shop in my garage where I spend time working on projects and taking classes. I also like cooking and baking.