On a Saturday morning in Vacaville, more than 100 IBEW 1245 Organizing Stewards and staff gathered for the union’s first Organizing Steward Training of 2026. It was a full day focused on strengthening the member-to-member work that powers the union both on the job and in the political arena.
Organizing Stewards are IBEW 1245 members who volunteer their time to help strengthen the union. Like Shop Stewards and Safety Stewards, they are appointed members who work closely with the union’s organizing staff to mobilize volunteers and connect members to the broader mission of the union.
And they do it on top of their regular jobs.
2026 is an important election year for IBEW 1245 and working people across California, and much of the day focused on preparing Organizing Stewards for the work ahead so that we have a voice in the decisions that impact our jobs, safety, wages, retirement, and future of our industries.
Senior Assistant Business Manager Anthony “AB” Brown speaks to attendees during the IBEW 1245 Organizing Steward Training in Vacaville.
“Organizers are the tip of the spear in many of the fights we take on every day,” said Senior Assistant Business Manager Anthony “AB” Brown during his remarks at the training. Brown was introduced by Danielle Bonds, a Sacramento-area Organizing Steward and 10-year member.
Brown emphasized that the union’s bargaining strength does not happen in a vacuum. Whether it is negotiations at PG&E, SMUD, or public utilities across the state, the leverage at the bargaining table is strengthened by the work members do outside of it. He talked about walking precincts, mobilizing co-workers, showing up at the Capitol, and building political relationships that protect jobs, wages, safety, and retirement security.
The event also served as an introduction to the broader political and legislative fights affecting workers across California and the nation. Political Director Hunter Stern discussed upcoming races, legislative priorities, and the importance of electing labor-friendly leaders who understand the value of union labor.
Stern was introduced by Brenda Balcazar, a 10-year IBEW 1245 member from the South Bay Clerical unit, who praised Stern for consistently bringing stewards into the conversation and helping members better understand the issues impacting workers both on and off the job.
More than 100 IBEW 1245 Organizing Stewards and staff gathered in Vacaville for the union’s first Organizing Steward Training of 2026.
“The people we’re fighting against bring bills that threaten your jobs, your money, your retirement, your opportunity,” said Stern. “It’s personal for me.”
Assemblywoman Lori Wilson, who chairs the Assembly Transportation Committee, spoke to attendees about the direct connection between politics, infrastructure investment, and the future of union jobs in California.
“It’s a transformative time for us in California, and we need leaders who are making decisions on behalf of working families,” Wilson told attendees. “Transportation, housing, infrastructure — these investments matter because they create jobs with wages people can raise a family on.”
Brandon Fosselman moderated a panel discussion featuring Gordon Young, Adriana Galindo, and Joshua Fernandez about “the union difference”.
Business Representative Gerald Williams spoke about the ongoing attacks on collective bargaining rights at the federal level under the current administration.
IBEW 1245 represents workers at the Western Area Power Administration (WAPA) and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation–California, where recent executive actions have canceled union contracts and “decimated” unions by cutting off dues collection under the guise of “national security.”
IBEW members at those agencies have so far maintained their bargaining rights, contracts, and dues collection protections because of longstanding legal protections unique to the small number of IBEW federal utility workers. But, as Williams stressed, stripping those rights away at the federal level sets a dangerous precedent for working people and unions across the country.
That discussion led into remarks from Mark Smith, co-founder of the Federal Unionists Network (FUN) and president of the union representing healthcare workers at the San Francisco VA Health Care System, who spoke about the growing attacks on federal unions and the importance of member-driven organizing.
“I work at the Veterans Health Administration, where 300,000 workers have had their union contracts canceled,” Smith said. “We don’t have 15-minute breaks guaranteed anymore. They took away extra time for parental leave with the stroke of a pen. Private and state employers are watching.”
Assemblywoman Lori Wilson, who chairs the Assembly Transportation Committee, spoke to attendees about the importance of holding politicians accountable and making sure working people have a voice in the decisions that impact their jobs, safety, and future.
“That’s why I’m so impressed by all of you,” he told attendees.
A panel discussion on “the union difference” followed, moderated by Lead Organizing Steward Brandon Fosselman, a 14-year PG&E employee who has served as an Organizing Steward since 2018. Panelists Gordon Young, GSR Petaluma, Adriana Galindo, CSR Fresno and Joshua Fernandez, Traffic Control, Petaluma reflected on the solidarity they found through the Organizing Steward program, as well as the impact union involvement had on their personal and professional lives.
Organizers then participated in breakout sessions focused on organizing strategy and planning for future mobilizations.
Closing out the day, Assistant Business Manager Rene Cruz Martinez spoke about why organizing matters and highlighted several victories made possible through political engagement and member mobilization.
He pointed to recent contract wins at SMUD, worker protections secured during PG&E’s bankruptcy crisis, legislation that helped organize roughly 2,000 vegetation management inspectors into the union, and the union’s role in helping preserve jobs at Diablo Canyon Power Plant through SB 846.
As the training concluded, attendees left energized and prepared to fan out across the state to support campaigns and organizing efforts aimed at strengthening working people and the labor movement.