IBEW 1245 Organizing Stewards came together at the union hall last month to strengthen their skills and get ready for the important work ahead.
With the November election approaching, much of the training focused on preparing Organizing Stewards to walk precincts, phone bank and engage voters on races and issues that affect IBEW 1245 members and their jobs.
For Jenny Lemus, a Customer Service Representative at PG&E’s Fresno Contact Center, being part of the program has opened her eyes to the many ways the union fights for its members.
“When I came to my first Organizing Steward meeting at the hall, I walked away with such a better understanding of everything our union does for us,” Lemus said. “There are so many fights happening on behalf of our members that we may never see in our day-to-day jobs. Being part of this program has given me a chance to see some of that work firsthand and be part of it.”
Just a few days earlier, Organizing Stewards had done exactly that, showing up at a California Energy Commission hearing in Solano County to stand up to organized opposition to the Corby battery storage project, a clean energy infrastructure project that would create good union jobs.
“When there’s a fight that affects our members and their jobs, these are the brothers and sisters who step up, give their time and make sure our voices are heard,” said IBEW 1245 Business Manager Bob Dean. “I can’t thank them enough for preparing for the fights ahead and for committing to work for our members and our families.”
During the June primary, IBEW 1245 Organizing Stewards mobilized to help San Francisco Supervisor Connie Chan advance to the general election, where she now faces State Senator Scott Wiener for Congress.
Organizing Steward Joshua Hernandez was among the members who helped lead IBEW 1245’s effort. At the training, Hernandez introduced Chan as “the next Congressmember from San Francisco.”
This is an important race for 1245 as Wiener has repeatedly authored legislation that threatens IBEW 1245 members’ jobs and contracts. In 2023, his SB 284 would have overridden our collective bargaining agreement with PG&E and forced utility construction work to the lowest bidder. It was a brazen attack on IBEW members, and it would have undermined hard-fought labor and safety standards, and put as many as 40,000 IBEW jobs at risk.
Speaking to at the training, Chan connected her support for unions to her own family and work experience. She recalled watching her mother work multiple non-union jobs and struggle to support their family. Later, as a City and County of San Francisco employee and union member, Chan said she experienced
firsthand the difference a union contract could make, from negotiated raises and representation to greater security on the job.
She also spoke about her partner, a San Francisco firefighter, and how their union careers changed the trajectory of their family.
Senior Assistant Business Manager Anthony Brown then addressed the Organizers and explained his own trajectory.
A 24-year IBEW member, Brown recalled starting at PG&E and suddenly having a career, a truck, tools and opportunities he had never imagined. He also understood those opportunities had not simply been given to him by the company.
“I knew it wasn’t the company that gave me all of that,” he told the group. “It was the generations before me that fought for it.” He thanked the Organizing Stewards for continuing that tradition and for giving up Saturdays, knocking on doors and volunteering their time for the members who will come after them.
Senior Assistant Business Manager René Cruz Martinez knows firsthand where that kind of involvement can lead. He was a member of the first class of 28 Organizing Stewards, joined the IBEW 1245 staff as an organizer in 2017 and today leads the union’s Organizing Department.
“It’s inspiring to see so many of our members continue to show up for these trainings and volunteer their time,” Cruz Martinez said. “Their willingness to step up and lead is what makes our union stronger. I’m proud to stand with my brothers and sisters in the fights ahead.”
The training also included a special tribute to retiring Senior Advisor Eileen Purcell, who helped build IBEW 1245’s Organizing Steward program.
Introducing Eileen, Executive Board member and Organizing Steward Alvin Dayoan said, “You believed in me, and that belief changed everything. You had a way of pushing me forward.”
After a video tribute in Eileen’s honor, and song from the Organizing Stewards, Purcell addressed the group.
“At a time in our history when there is so much division, this group is about hope,” she said. “Love, power and justice are what anchor me every day.”
Staff Organizer Rick Thompson then introduced Assistant Business Manager Hunter Stern, who gave an overview of the current political landscape and the fights ahead for IBEW 1245.
Stern updated the group on the union’s wildfire liability fight, thanked Organizing Stewards for their work on SB 1330, the Utility Worker Safety Bill and discussed upcoming battles at SSJID and MID.
Members then broke into smaller groups to talk through the stakes of upcoming fights, practice having conversations with voters and commit to volunteering over the next two months.
For Organizing Steward Gabriella Khan, the program has inspired her to take those lessons even further. Khan, who works at PG&E’s Sacramento call center, is now running for a seat on the Fulton-El Camino Recreation and Park District board.
“This program has helped me find my own power and showed me how I can use it to help people and fight for what we deserve,” Khan said. “It has connected me with people who have inspired me and are now helping me with my own campaign. It has literally changed my life.”
By Shannan Velayas, Communications Director. Photos Intemporel by AM Photography
