IBEW 1245 member, David Whitman sworn in to serve on the IBEW Local 1245 Advisory Board.
The IBEW 1245 Advisory Council met for its second quarter meeting on April 25 at the union hall in Vacaville. Following the swearing-in of new Advisory Council member David Wickham, delegates heard updates on bargaining, major infrastructure projects, worker safety, organizing efforts, and upcoming member events.
Since the meeting, IBEW 1245 and PG&E have reached a Table Agreement, followed by member information sessions. At the time, negotiations were still underway and Business Manager Bob Dean provided an update, highlighting the extensive preparation behind the bargaining process, the involvement of members across the system, and the union’s efforts to push back against company proposals. “The company wanted things we were never going to agree to,” Dean said. You can read more about the Table Agreement here.
Steve Ramirez, IBEW 1245 Executive Board, speaks at the meeting.
Assistant Business Manager and Legislative Director Hunter Stern also provided an update on several bills moving through the Legislature, including utility worker safety legislation (SB 1330) and ongoing policy fights impacting utility workers and infrastructure jobs.
Leaders also highlighted the amount of utility infrastructure work currently underway throughout California and Nevada. PG&E is targeting 400 miles of undergrounding work and 350 miles of overhead fire hardening in 2026 — both significant increases over 2025 totals. More than 240 miles of line are currently under construction across PG&E territory.
Large transmission and reliability projects are also ramping up throughout the West, including major underground transmission work in San Jose and multiple large-scale Nevada transmission projects tied to regional clean energy and grid reliability goals.
Outside Line leaders said the workload across California and Nevada remains strong, with major projects including Greenlink West, Greenlink North, SWIP North, and additional substation expansions already underway.
Nicole Brooks, Women’s Committee Chair and IBEW 1245 Business Representative, addresses delegates during the Advisory Council meeting.
Safety and field conditions were an important topic of discussion. Advisory Council members reviewed increasing hostility toward utility workers in some areas, vehicle accidents, and recent incidents affecting members in the field, including an update on the condition of a brother who was shot while working earlier this year.
Scholarship recipients were also recognized during the meeting, with winners reading their essays aloud and reflecting on the impact unions have on workplace standards, opportunity, and collective bargaining.
Read more about Wyatt Wilson, recipient of the 2026 Ronald T. Weakley Line School Scholarship; Vincent Navarro, recipient of the 2026 Sandoval Scholarship; and Tyler Berti, recipient of the 2026 Stalcup Scholarship, here.
“I’m really proud of the generation coming up,” Advisory Council President Cecilia said during the meeting.
Cecelia De La Torre, President and Jeremy Winn, Executive Board Member present the second-quarter photo contest award to Draven Keeney of Basin Line.
Advisory Council delegates also recognized Draven Keeney of Basin Line, winner of the Utility Reporter’s second-quarter photo contest. His winning image captured crews framing a steel transmission pole in Eureka, California, during a transmission line replacement project.
The meeting concluded with updates from the Veterans Committee’s participation in the Wings Over Solano Air Show, the Women’s Committee’s involvement in the IBEW Local 6 Women’s History Month celebration, and the EWMC Solano County Chapter’s Ticket to Dream campaign. Delegates also received updates on upcoming events, including the West Coast Gas & Electric Rodeo and the union’s annual soccer tournament.