IBEW 1245 Mourns the Passing of Labor Leader Robbie Sparks

IBEW Local 1245 joins the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers in mourning the passing of Robbie Sparks, President Emeritus of the Electrical Workers Minority Caucus (EWMC), whose lifelong commitment to workers’ rights, civil rights, and equal opportunity helped strengthen both the IBEW and the labor movement.

International President Kenneth W. Cooper remembered Sparks as “one of the great voices for workers’ justice and civil rights,” noting that her leadership helped make the IBEW “bigger, stronger, and more rooted in every community than ever before.”

For IBEW 1245, Sparks’ legacy is also deeply personal.

Former IBEW 1245 Senior Assistant Business Manager Dorothy Fortier, who served with Sparks on the EWMC Executive Committee, remembers Sparks as a leader who had far reaching influence.

“Sister Robbie was an undeniable, powerful force to be reckoned with,” Fortier said. “She believed fiercely in the principles of hard work and equal opportunity.”

Fortier first met Sparks during an A. Philip Randolph Institute leadership conference in the late 1970s, when Black IBEW members gathered to discuss how to create greater opportunities within the union.

Those early conversations helped lay the groundwork for the Electrical Workers Minority Caucus. In 1991, she established the EWMC Leadership Conference, creating an annual opportunity for members to develop leadership skills, organize, and build relationships across the Brotherhood.

She was the author of the organization’s enduring motto: “Always Moving Forward, Forever Lifting Up. Strength Through Diversity.”

Fortier, who was elected to the EWMC Executive Committee in 1992, said Sparks led by example. One lesson she never forgot was Sparks’ distinction between a “show horse” and a “work horse.”

“She would always remind me to let your work speak for you,” Fortier said.

IBEW 1245 Business Manager Bob Dean said Sparks’ impact continues to be felt throughout our union.

“Robbie Sparks dedicated her life to opening doors for others and making our union stronger by ensuring every member had the opportunity to lead, contribute, and succeed. Her work helped shape generations of IBEW leaders, including many here at Local 1245. We are grateful for her example, her courage, and her unwavering commitment to justice.”

Tonya F. Alston, President of the Electrical Workers Minority Caucus (EWMC) Solano County Chapter, said Sparks’ leadership inspired generations of Black women. “Ms. Robbie’s wisdom, vision, fire, and unmatched leadership inspired so many Black women to realize that we, too, have a place within the IBEW. Rest in peace, dear Sister.”

“I am honored to have sat at the feet of Sister Robbie Sparks and gleaned from her wisdom.  She inspired, uplifted, and opened doors for so many people.  I am a better person, and forever grateful for the opportunity to have known her. The labor movement, and humanity at large has lost a great leader,” said Charlotte Stevens, IBEW 1245 Staff Organizer.

Laquania “Q” Thompson, former IBEW 1245 Organizing Steward and current IBEW Ninth District Education Representative, said “Sister Robbie Sparks didn’t just lead the EWMC—she welcomed people in, believed in them, and inspired them to lead. Her love helped shape my path in the IBEW. I will always be grateful for the example she set and the legacy she leaves behind.”

IBEW 1245 Executive Board Member Alvin Dayoan said, “Robbie showed us that the fight for justice isn’t won in a single day. She was a champion whose vision will carry on for generations to come. Rest in power, Sister Sparks. Your work lives on in every door you opened.”

Fortier said Sparks never stopped fighting for working people.

“I will always remember Robbie as the most dynamic leader in the history of the EWMC, a titan of the labor movement, and a dedicated community activist,” she said. “More than anything, I want every IBEW member to know just how hard she fought for our union. Through sickness and in health, she put the Union and the EWMC first. She embodied our values one hundred percent, leaving behind a legacy of contributions too vast to count.”

As IBEW members across North America remember Sister Robbie Sparks, IBEW Local 1245 honors a leader whose vision helped build a stronger, more inclusive Brotherhood.

May she rest in power.